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PREFACE 



It has been remarked by an able writer in our language, 
that it is the business of a translator to convey the general 
meaning of his author, rather than to give an exact inter- 
pretation of every word and phrase in the original. This 
maxim, when applied to books of science, and even to his- 
tory and poetry, is, in general, certainly correct. No sci- 
ence can be taught without the use of technical terms to a 
greater or less extent, and there are no two languages, 
whether living or dead, that will admit of those terms being 
literally translated from the one into the other. This of 
itself will necessarily occasion a certain degree of freedom 
in the translation; but, independent of this, it will be 
found utterly impossible to give, at once, a translation, 
perfectly literal, of even the common expressions employed 
by a scientific writer, and, at the same time, to convey any 
thing like his general meaning to the mind of the reader. 
Let us take for example any of the treatises of Aristotle — 
his Ethics, or his Rhetoric. Can any man suppose himself 
competent to give a literal, and, at the same time, a fair 
translation of either of these works ? If he does, he will 
find himself mistaken. To the person who understands 
Greek, the translation would be infinitely more difficult to 
be understood than the original ; whereas to the mere 
English reader, it would either be unintelligible, or ex- 

a2 



vi PREFACE. 

language, the translation will cease to be at all useful to 
him, and the danger which was so greatly dreaded, will be 
found to have been a mere phantom of the imagination. 
In the next place, the youth whose talents are such as to 
render every foreign aid acceptable in assisting him in the 
acquisition of as much learning as may serve an immediate 
purpose, may be benefited, but cannot be injured by a 
literal translation. Such a youth will not toil, cannot in- 
deed be expected to toil, day after day, and week after 
week, in the vain attempt to understand what appears to 
him to be utterly incomprehensible. If possessed of 
money sufficient for the purpose, he will undoubtedly 
apply to a private tutor, possessed of patience sufficient to 
read the lesson over and over till something like a shadow 
of its meaning be left upon the pupiPs memory. And of 
what importance is it whether such a youth be instructed 
by a dead, or by a living tutor ? In many cases the youth 
is perhaps poor, and cannot afford to pay for private 
tuition. His future prospects in life may depend upon his 
being able to scrape together as much knowledge of Greek 
and Latin as will enable him to take a degree ; and is a 
translation to be condemned because it has been useful in 
the attainment of this object? Let those who exclaim 
most loudly against literal translations reflect upon these 
things, and they will find, that the youth of good talents 
cannot be injured by such translations ; whilst the youth 
of moderate talents may be greatly assisted by them. 

It was with a full conviction of the truth of this reason- 
ing, that the following translation of Homer's Iliad was 
written. To translate the poetry of one language into the 
prose of another, is, to say the least of it, an irksome task, 
and necessarily obliges the translator to lay aside every 



PREFACE. vii 

idea of elegance in his composition. With respect to 
Homer, in particular, these objections are peculiarly 
strong. Although certainly as simple as a poet can be. 
Homer delights in numerous and compound epithets ; 
expressions which, though in the Greek poem they are 
extremely beautiful, become in an English prose translation 
almost ridiculous. To make the translation at all what it 
was intended to be, however, those epithets must be fairly 
and literally given, the consequence of which is, that the 
style is always pompous, and not unfrequently bombastic. 
It would be quite needless to offer an apology for a fault 
which there was no possibility of avoiding; and for the 
general correctness of the translation it is humbly hoped 
that no apology is required. The utmost care has been 
bestowed upon it, and no error has been caused by in- 
difference or inattention. Not that it is vainly believed 
to be altogether free from mistakes. Such there may be, 
and such no doubt there are ; but it is pretty confidently 
affirmed, that no meaning has been attached to the Greek 
words, which those words are wholly incapable of bearing. 
There are, to be sure, some particles scattered in great 
profusion throughout the poem, which are almost univer- 
sally admitted to be incapable of translation ; such as juev, 
§e, yt, and such like. All these, no doubt, add greatly to 
the precision of the expression, and, among the Greeks, 
possessed each some definite meaning. But though we 
are well aware of this, and see plainly that they add in no 
small degree to the beauty as well as strength of the lan- 
guage, we are, from the mere want of similar terms in our 
own, obliged either to pass them by entirely, or to com- 
press two or three of them into one word. Wherever it 



viii PREFACE 

is possible, they have each received a distinct translation 
in the following work. 

That the translation of Homer's Iliad, now given to the 
public, can possibly do harm, is not feared ; and if it be 
of the smallest use in furthering the views or prospects of 
any individual, the labour of the translator will be amply 
rewarded. 



Considerable pains have been taken in the present edi- 
tion, throughout, to mark the meaning of Homer more 
specifically than before, both by corrections in the text, 
and by occasional notes — with a still more sedulous re- 
gard to the literalness of the version. Universally, indeed, 
every change has been made with the sole view of con- 
veying more strictly and closely the construction, as well 
as the sense, of the noble original. 

H. P. 

Sandmch, Feb. 1841. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER 



BOOK L 



ARGUMENT. 

Account of a pestilence in the Grecian camp, and cause of it. A council 
called. Fierce altercation takes place between Agamemnon and Achilles. 
Achilles renounces the field. Agamemnon demands Brise'i's. Achilles 
resigns her. He complains to Thetis, who undertakes to plead his cause 
with Jove. She pleads it, and prevails. What passed in heaven on that 
occasion. 

Sing, Goddess, the destructive wrath of Achilles, son of 
Peleus, which brought myriad l disasters upon the Achaeans, 
and sent many gallant souls of heroes to Hades, and made 
themselves 2 a prey to dogs and all birds of prey (for so 
the counsel of Jove was fulfilled), from the time when, first, 5 
Atrides, king of men, and the godlike Achilles, quarrel- 
ling with each other, separated. 

Which then of the gods set them together to battle in 
the strife of words ? It was the son of Latona and of 
Jove ; for, being indignant with the king, he sent a fatal 
sickness 3 upon the army, and the people perished; because 10 
Atrides had insulted Chryses, his priest. For he, Chryses, 
came to the swift ships of the Achaeans to redeem his 
daughter, bringing a boundless i ransom, and bearing in 
his hands a chaplet of the far-darting Apollo upon a golden 

1 i. c. Very many. 2 Their carcases. 

3 Plague or pestilence. * Very large. 

B 



2 ILIAD I.— V. 15—40. 

15 rod ' ; and he supplicated all the Achaeans, but especially 
the two sons of Atreus, the commanders of the troops 2 . 

" Ye sons of Atreus, and ye other well-greaved 3 Achaeans, 

may the Gods, who possess Olympian mansions, grant you 

to destroy the city of Priam, and return happily home. 

20 But release my beloved daughter, and accept her ransom, 

reverencing the son of Jove, the far-darting Apollo." 

Then all the other Achaeans attested their readiness i to 
respect the priest and to accept the rich ransom. But it 
pleased not the soul of Agamemnon, the son of Atreus ; 
25 but 5 he dismissed him roughly, and added this threaten- 
ing speech : 

" Let me not find thee, old man, either lingering at the 
hollow 6 ships now, or hereafter coming again, lest the rod 
and chaplet of the God protect thee not. For I will not set 
her free — even old age shall come upon her first, plying 
30 the loom, and tending 7 my bed, in my house at Argos, far 
from her native land. But, begone ; irritate me not, that 
thou mayst return the safer." 

Thus he spoke, and the old man was afraid, and obeyed 
the order. And he walked in silence along the sands of 
the loud-roaring sea, and then after going some distance, 
35 the old man prayed much 8 to king Apollo, whom the fair- 
haired Latona bore : 

u Hear me, God of the silver-bow, thou who protectest 

Chrysa 9 and the glorious Cilia, and mightily dost govern 

Tenedos : O Smintheus 10 , if ever I hung thy beautiful 

temple with garlands, or if ever I burnt, in honour of thee, 

40 the fat legs 11 of bulls or of goats, accomplish this my 



1 Or wand — gold-stick. 

2 Lit. \aoi, peoples — in the plural usually expressive of an army — soldiers. 

3 Their legs well defended with greaves, L e. well-armed or mailed — part 
put for the whole. 

4 i. e. By words or gestures. 5 Sc. for. 6 Sc. capacious. 
? i. e. As a slave. 8 Many things, much, earnestly. 

9 A town of Troy— Cilia also ; Tenedos, the island of that name. 

10 A frequent epithet of Apollo, fantastically derived from mice — rat-catcher. 

11 See line 460 of this book. 



ILIAD I.— V. 41— 70. 3 

prayer. May the Danaans suffer for my tears by thine 
arrows." 

Thus he spoke, praying ; and Phoebus Apollo heard 
him. And he came down from the summits of Olympus, 
angry at heart, bearing upon his shoulders, his bow, and 
closed i quiver. And the arrows too rattled upon the 45 
shoulders of the angry God, as he moved along ; and he 
advanced like night 2 . Then he sat down at some distance 
from the ships, and sent forth an arrow ; and terrible was 
the clang of the silver bow. At first he attacked mules, 
and swift dogs, and next, aiming the deadly bolt at the 50 
men, themselves, he struck them ; and numerous pyres of 
the dead were ever burning. Nine days did the arrows of 
the God make their way through the army ; and on the 
tenth, Achilles called the people to council. The white- 
armed Goddess Juno had put this resolve into his mind ; 55 
for she was grieved for the Achaeans, because she beheld 
them perishing. When, therefore, they collected, and 
were assembled together, the swift-footed Achilles, stand- 
ing up among them, thus spoke : 

u Atrides, I judge we must now turn back and go 
home again, if at least we would escape death ; since war 60 
and pestilence at once press upon the Achasans. But 
come, let us consult some prophet, or priest, or even in- 
terpreter of dreams (for a dream also is from Jove), who 
may say, why Phoebus Apollo is thus angry with us. If 65 
he be offended on account of soirie vow or hecatomb un- 
performed, perhaps, obtaining from us the scent 3 of choice 
lambs and kids, he will avert from us the plague." 

And having thus spoken, he then sat down ; and Cal- 
chas, the son of Thestor arose, the best of augurs, a man 
who knew the present, the future, and the past, and who 70 
had guided the ships of the Achaeans to Ilium, by that 

1 i. e. Closed at both ends — the quiver had a lid. 

2 i. e. Like a dark cloud threatening storms. 
8 Steam or scent of roast- lamb, &c. 

b2 



4 ILIAD I.— V. 72—99. 

power of prophecy which Phoebus Apollo gave him. With 
wisdom 1 he thus addressed them, and said : 

" Achilles, beloved of Jove ; thou chargest me to explain 

75 the cause of the anger of Apollo, the far-darting king. 
Therefore will I tell it ; but do thou observe, and swear to 
me, that thou wilt promptly by words and hands protect 
me. For I fear that I shall irritate the man, who is of all 
the Argives most powerful, and whom the Achaeans obey. 

80 For a king, when he is angry with an inferior man, will be 

too strong for him ; for, even if at the moment he suppress 

his rage, he yet thereafter retains resentment, till he can 

wreak it, in his breast. Say then, if thou wilt protect me." 

And him, the swift-footed Achilles, answering, said : " In 

85 full confidence 2 , tell whatever oracle of the God 3 thou 
knowest. For, by Apollo, beloved of Jove, — through whom 
it is that, by praying to him, thou disclosest to the Danaans 
his oracles, — no one, of all the Danaans, at the hollow ships, 
while I live and look upon the earth, shall lay violent hands 

90 upon thee ; no, not even if thou shouldst name Agamem- 
non, who now boasts to be much the best of Achaeans. 

Then, at last, the good prophet took courage, and said : 
" Neither then for vow is he angry, nor hecatomb, but 

95 on account of his priest, whom Agamemnon insulted, and 
set not his daughter at liberty, nor accepted her ransom. 
For this reason then has the Far-darter sent these woes 
upon us, and will send them still; neither will he with- 
hold his heavy hands from afflicting us with pestilence 
until Agamemnon restore the beautiful 4 maid, unredeemed, 

1 Prudently — with a just regard for his own safety. — Lit. tv<ppovsojv is a 
participle — being possessed of good brains — a faculty of thinking well, acutely, 
or prudently, for one's own interests, or kindly towards others. 

2 Having great confidence, declare, &c. 

3 i. e. His sentiments or views — whatever thou knowest of them, however 
acquired. 

4 The specific sense of eXt/cw^/ is not known. It is applied to men (line 
389 of this book) as well as women, and seems to be expressive of some 
admirable personal qualities. Black-eyed is an interpretation of remote tra- 
dition, though surely not always applicable. 



ILIAD I.— V. 100—127. 5 

unransomed, to her beloved father; and take a sacred 100 
hecatomb to Chrysa ; then, thus propitiating, we may, 
perchance, appease him. 

And having thus spoken, he then sat down. And then 
the hero, the son of Atreus, the far-ruling Agamemnon rose, 
indignant ; and much was his dark breast filled with rage, 
and his eyes resr nbled flashing fire. First looking sternly 105 
at Calchas, he dius addressed him : 

" Prophet of evils \ never yet hast thou spoken what 
was pleasant to me ; but ever agreeable is it to thy soul to 
prophesy evils ; and never yet hast thou spoken one good 
word, or brought it to effect. And now, divining, in the 
presence of the Danaans, thou tellest them that for this, 
forsooth, the Far-darter sends disasters upon them, be- 110 
cause I was not willing to accept the rich ransom for 
the young daughter of Chryses ; seeing that I much wish 
to have her at home; and indeed I prefer her even to 
Clytemnestra my wife 2 , for she is not inferior to her, in 
figure or stature, in mind or accomplishments 3 . Yet even 115 
so, I am willing to restore her, if that is better ; for I wish 
my people to be safe rather than to perish. But forth- 
with prepare another reward i for me, that I may not be 
the only one of the Argives unrewarded ; since that would 
not be fitting. For this reward of mine you see, that is 120 
going elsewhere." 

Him, then, the swift-footed godlike Achilles answered : 
a Illustrious Atrides — insatiable 5 — for how shall the noble 
Achaeans give thee another reward ? We know of no many 
things laid up in common 6 . But what things we have 125 
plundered from towns, those have been divided; and it 
would ill become the army to collect them together again. 

1 Announcer ; i. e. through his prophetic or divining qualities. Prophe- 
sying in Homer is, generally, announcing, or declaring the will of the Gods. 

2 Kovpidirjg aXoxov — my wife ; one who had never been married before — • 
in opposition to a mistress. 

3 Works. 4 Or prize. 

5 Fond of accumulating all things — most so — most of all men. 

6 From which another reward might be selected for thee. 



6 ILIAD I.— V. 127—152. 

But do thou now give this maiden up to the God, and we 
Achaeans will reward thee three-fold or four-fold, if Jove 
shall ever grant us to spoil the well -fortified city of Troy." 

130 And him answering, king Agamemnon said : " Do not 
thus, clever though thou be, god-like Achilles, attempt to 
practise upon me ! ; since thou wilt not overreach me, nor 
persuade me. What, dost thou wish, that thou thyself 
shouldest keep thy prize, and that I should sit down thus 2 
in want of one ? And dost thou bid me to restore her ? 

135 Well, if the brave Achaeans will give me another prize, 
adapting it to my mind, i" will do so ; only let them take 
care that it be an equivalent one. But if they will not 
give me one, then I myself will go and seize one, — thy 
prize, or that of Ajax, or of Ulysses, I will seize and take 
away ; and he to whom I come may be enraged, if he will. 

140 But, however, these matters we will talk over again here- 
after. And now, come, we will launch a black ship into 
the divine sea 3 ; and collect rowers in sufficient number, 
and put on board an hecatomb, and embark the fair- 

145 cheeked daughter of Chryses ; and let some one chieftain 
be its commander, Ajax, or Idomeneus, or the godlike 
Ulysses ; or thyself, son of Peleus, most tremendous 4 of 
men, that thou mayst propitiate for us the Far-darter, by 
offering sacrifice." 

And the swift-footed Achilles, looking sternly at him, 
said, " Ha ! shameless 5 and rapacious ! how can any of 

150 the Achaeans cheerfully obey thy orders, either to under- 
take an expedition 6 , or bravely to fight with men? I 
came not here to fight on account of the warlike Trojans ; 

1 K\£7rr£ vo<j) — i. e. steal or filch with the mind, in opposition to the hands. 
The force of the phrase is, obviously, — Do not attempt to juggle, or play 
your tricks upon me. 

2 Avtojq. The sense is supplied by gesticulation, to sit down thus — inac- 
tively, without stirring to maintain my rights. 

3 i. e. Vast — any thing large or immense is diog, divine. 

4 E(C7ray Xorars — ironically, of course. 

5 Clothed or covered with impudence. 

6 An ambuscade, or a foray — to intercept caravans, or seize upon cattle. 
koxovfo uvai, line 226 of this book, is an equivalent phrase. 



ILIAD I.— V. 153—184. 7 

for to me they have clone no wrong. They never drove 
away my cattle nor my horses; nor ever destroyed my 
crops in fertile and populous Phthia; for very many sha- 155 
dowing mountains and resounding seas are between us. 
But thee, most shameless man, do we accompany, to plea- 
sure thee ; exacting from the Trojans satisfaction for 
Menelaus, and for thee, insolent; these things thou re- 
gardest not, nor valuest them at all. And now thou 160 
threatenest thou wilt thyself deprive me of my reward, for 
which I have laboured hard x , and which the sons of the 
Achaeans have given me. Never have I a reward equal to 
thine, when the Achaeans lay waste a well-peopled town of 
the Trojans ; although my hands execute most of the 165 
labours of harassing battle ; but, whenever a division of 
the spoil comes, to thee falls the greater prize, while I, 
with a small and grateful one 2 , return to the ships, when 
I am exhausted with fighting. But now I will go to 170 
Phthia, since it is much better to return home with my 
high-beaked 3 ships; nor am I disposed, thus insulted 
here, to gather spoils and wealth for thee/ 5 

To him, then, the king of men, Agamemnon, replied : 
" Fly by all means, if thy soul prompts thee ; nor will I 
intreat thee, for my sake, to remain : with me are others 
who will honour me, and, above all, counselling Jove. 175 
And most hateful to me art thou of heaven-protected 
kings, for strife is always agreeable to thee, and wars, and 
battles. Though thou be valiant, God doubtless gave 
thee that. Returning home with thy ships and thy com- 
rades, lord it over the Myrmidons; for I regard thee not, 180 
nor care for thy being angry. But this will I assure thee. 
As Phoebus Apollo takes from me the daughter of Chryses, 
her will I send in my own ship, and with my own com- 
rades ; but, coming to thy tent, I will myself bear off thy 

1 Many things — much. 

2 i. e. Though small, yet welcome — in the absence of a better. 

3 KopiDVicn, i. e. ships, both whose prow and stern rose high and curved — 
like the horns of an ox. The same epithet is applied to oxen by Theocrit. 
Idyll, xxv. 151. 



8 ILIAD I.— V. 185 — 214. 

185 prize, the fair-cheeked Briseis ; that thou mayst well know 
how much more powerful I am than thou, and that an- 
other may be afraid to profess himself my equal, or com- 
pare with me X P 

Thus he spoke, and to the son of Peleus there was pain, 
and in his rough breast his heart was torn two ways; 

190 whether, plucking the sharp sword from his thigh^ he 
should stir up the rest 2 , and slay Atrides, or suppress his 
rage, and check his desire. While he was revolving these 
things in his heart and soul, and was drawing his mighty 
sword from the sheath, Minerva came from heaven; for 

195 the white-armed goddess Juno had sent her forth, alike 
loving and regarding both ; and she stood behind him, and 
pulled the son of Peleus by the yellow hair, — apparent to 
him alone, and no one of the rest beheld her. And 

20Q Achilles was amazed, and turned round, and immediately 
recognized Pallas Minerva, for awful appeared her eyes. 
And addressing her, he spoke winged 3 words to her : 

"Why, again, daughter of aegis-bearing Jove, comest 
thou ? Is it that thou mayest behold the insult of Aga- 
memnon, the son of Atreus ? But I declare to thee, and I 
think it will be accomplished, that he will soon lose his 

205 life by his insolence." 

And the blue-eyed goddess Minerva said to him in 
return : " I came to allay thy wrath, if thou wilt obey, 
from heaven ; for the white-armed Goddess Juno sent me 
forth, alike loving and concerned at heart for both of you. 

210 Come then, cease from the strife, nor draw the sword with 
thy hand. Upbraid him, nevertheless, in words, as thou 
wilt — but no violence; for thus I declare, and it shall be 
fulfilled — rich gifts of even three times the value shall be 
thine, for this insult. But do thou restrain thyself, and be 
obedient to us." 



1 To be compared, avrrjv, in opposition to me. 

2 Perhaps overturn or remove them— those who stood between himself 
and Agamemnon. 

3 Words rapidly, hastily expressed. 



ILIAD I.— V. 215—245. 9 

And the swift-footed Achilles answering her, said : "It .215 
becomes me to observe your joint l commands, although 
very much enraged at heart ; for so it is better. To the 
man, who obeys the gods, they most readily listen." 

He said, and pressed his heavy hand upon the silver hilt, 
and thrust back the mighty sword into its sheath, nor 220 
disobeyed the command of Minerva; and she went to 
Olympus, to the mansions of aegis-bearing Jove, among 
the other divinities. But Achilles again addressed Atrides 
with passionate words, nor yet ceased from his anger : 

" O drunkard, with the eyes of a dog, and the heart of 225 
a deer, never hast thou the courage 2 to arm thyself for 
war with the people, nor to go ambuscading with the 
chiefs of the Achaeans ; for that seems to be death to thee. 
To be sure, it is much better, in the broad army of the 230 
Achaeans, to strip of his rewards whoever may at all con- 
tradict thee 3 . O king, devourer of thy people — a coward 
people — for thou reignest over dastards ; otherwise, Atrides, 
thou wouldest now have been insolent for the last time. 
But I will tell thee, and I will sw r ear a mighty oath, — even 
by this sceptre, w T hich shall never bear leaves and shoots, 235 
from the time it left its trunk 4 among the mountains, nor 
bud again, — for, in fact, the axe stripped it all round, of 
both leaves and bark ; and now the sons of the Achaeans 
bear it in their hands, the magistrates, those w r ho admi- 
nister the laws derived from Jove — and this oath will be a 
great one — that the desire of Achilles will surely one day 240 
come upon all the sons of the Achaeans, and thou, though 
much grieved, wilt be unable to assist them, when many 
fall dying by the hand of Hector, slayer of men. Then 
shalt thou tear thy soul within, enraged w r ith thyself that 
thou didst honour nothing 6 the mightiest of Achaeans." 

Thus spoke the son of Peleus ; and cast upon the earth 245 

1 The commands of you two especially. 

2 Thou hast never dared in thy mind. 

3 Whoever may say any thing in opposition. 

1 i. <:. The tree from which it was cut. 5 i. e. Didst insult. 



10 ILIAD I.— V. 246—276. - 

his sceptre adorned with golden studs, and himself sat 
down. And on the other hand, the son of Atreus grew 
warm ; but soft-speaking Nestor rose, the persuasive orator 
of the Pylians, from whose tongue flowed words sweeter 
than honey, and under him already two generations of 

250 articulate-speaking * men had perished — who with him 
before were born and bred in sacred Pylus, and he was 
reigning over the third. He, a wise man, harangued them, 
and said : 

"Alas, great misery is come upon the Achaean land. 

255 Surely Priam will rejoice, and the sons of Priam, and the 
rest of the Trojans, be gladdened in their souls, if they 
hear of you two, who are above other Danaans in council 
and in valour 2 , quarrelling about all these matters. Be 
persuaded then ; for you are both younger than I. For 

260 long ago I associated with men even more mighty than 
you, and they never disregarded me. Never, indeed, have 
I seen, nor shall 1 see such men as Peirithous, and Dryas, 
shepherd of people 3 , and Cseneus, and Exadius, and divine 

265 Polyphemus, and Theseus the son of JEgeus, one resem- 
bling the immortals. The bravest of earthly men were 
they bred ; the bravest were they, and they fought with 
the bravest, the mountain-Centaurs, and fearfully slew 
them. Even with these had I intercourse, when I went 

270 from Pylus far from the Apian 4 land ; for themselves 
invited me. And I fought with all my might 5 ; but with 
those Centaurs none of these men, who are now upon 6 the 
earth, could have fought. Yet they (Peirithous, &c.) 
hearkened to my counsels, and obeyed my words. And 
be ye also persuaded, since it is better to obey. Do not 

275 thou, Agamemnon, powerful though thou be, take away 
the maid from him, but leave her, as to him the sons of 

1 In opposition to animals, who do not articulate sounds, or express their 
feelings by words. 

2 Tn fighting. 3 Commander of men — armies, troops, 

4 The ancient name of the Peloponnesus. 

5 Kar e/x avrov. 6 Men on the earth. 



ILIAD I.— V. 277—300. 11 

the Aclurans first gave the prize ; nor do thou, Peleides, 
seek to strive hostilely with the king; for never did 
sceptered king, to whom Jove has given glory, possess 
authority equal to his. And if thou art more valiant, and 280 
a goddess was l thy mother ; still he is mightier than thou, 
since he rules over more. Son of Atreus, repress thy 
rage ; and I myself implore thee to give up thy resentment 
against Achilles, who is the great bulwark against evil war 
to all Achaeans." 

And king Agamemnon answering, said : " Truly thou 285 
hast said all this, old man, in a manner which becomes thee. 
But this man is desirous to be above all other men ; he 
wishes to rule and reign over all, and command all 2 , which 
I am not disposed to submit to 3 . For if the everlasting 290 
Gods have made him a warrior, do they for that permit 
him to utter insults ?" 

And then the godlike Achilles interruptingly replied: 
" Then may I be called a coward and a nobody, if ever I 
comply again as to any thing that thou sayst. Impose 295 
these things on others, but command not me ; for I resolve i 
I will no longer obey thee. And I will tell thee some- 
thing else, and do thou cast it 5 in thy mind. With hands 6 
I will by no means fight, on account of the maid, with thee, 
or any other, since ye who gave her, take her away. But 300 
of the rest of the spoils which are with me, in my swift 
black ship, of them nothing shalt thou take and carry off, 
without my consent. But, if thou art disposed to do so, come 
make the trial, that these too may learn the consequence — 
soon shall thy black blood flow around my spear." 

Having thus fought with hostile words, they both arose ; 305 
and they broke up the assembly at the ships of the Achaeans. 

1 A goddess-mother bore thee. 

2 And to give signals to all. 

3 Which I do not think he will persuade me to let him do. 

4 I do not think — i. e. I am not disposed — I am resolved no longer to 
obey. 

5 Let it sink into your mind. 

6 In opposition to words. 



12 ILIAD I.— V. 307—335. 

The son of Peleus then repaired to his tents and well-built ' 
ships, along with Patroclus and his comrades ; and Atrides 
put to sea 2 a swift ship, and selected twenty rowers, and 

310 embarked a hecatomb for the God ; and led the fair daugh- 
ter of Chryses on board ; and the wise Ulysses went as 
commander. They then, embarking, sailed upon the watery 
paths ; and Agamemnon ordered the people to purify them- 
selves 3 . Then they purified themselves, and cast the 

315 sordes (or suds) into the sea; and they sacrificed to Apollo 
choice hecatombs of bulls and goats, on the shore of the 
unfruitful ocean ; and the odour, curling with the smoke, 
ascended up to heaven. 

Thus did they employ themselves throughout the army ; 
but Agamemnon did not desist from the contest with 

320 which he first threatened Achilles *. For he thus addressed 
Talthybius and Eurybates, who were his heralds, and 
zealous attendants : 

" Go to the tent of Achilles, the son of Peleus, and 
having taken by the hand the fair Briseis, bring her away ; 

325 and if he do not resign her, then will I myself seize her, 
coming with greater numbers, — which will be even worse 
for him." 

So saying, he dismissed them, and enforced the hard 
commission. And they, reluctant, along the shore of the 
barren sea proceeded, and arrived at the tents and ships of 
the Myrmidons. And him they found sitting beside his 
tent, and his black ship ; nor was Achilles pleased at seeing 

330 them. And they, fearing and reverencing the king, stood 
still ; neither did they address him, nor speak a word ; but 
he knew their business, in his mind, and said : 

"Welcome, heralds, messengers of Jove and of men, 

335 come near ; ye are not blameable 5 , but Agamemnon, who 

1 TZiffag — i. e. equal — which perhaps refers to the symmetry of the parts. 

2 Ilpospvaaev — dragged down, i. e. to the water. The vessels, when not 
wanted, were drawn up on the shore — kept in a sort of dry dock. 

3 i. e. "With water. 

4 i. e. He did not desist from executing the threat. 

5 i. e. You are guiltless of the injury you are come to inflict on me. 



ILIAD I.— V. 336—363. 13 

soi ids you for the maid Briseis. Go then, noble Patro- 
clus, bring forth the maid, and give her to them to take 
her away ; but be they themselves witnesses before the 
immortal Gods, and before mortal men, and before the 
cruel king, of this insult. And if ever again there be need 340 
of me to ward off destructive pestilence from the rest ' — for 
he is driven on by destructive counsels, nor knows he how 
to observe at all, the future and the past 2 , that the Achaeans 
safe may fight at their ships. 5 ' 

Thus he spake. And Patroclus obeyed his dear friend, 345 
and led the fair-cheeked Briseis from the tent, and gave 
her to them to take away ; and they returned to the ships 
of the Achaeans. And unwillingly along, with them the 
lady went. But Achilles, weeping, forthwith sat down, going 
apart from his companions, on the shore of the foaming sea, 35Q 
gazing upon the dark deep. And much to his dear mother 
prayed he, stretching out his hands : 

" Mother, as thou hast borne me, though to be short- 
lived, high thundering Olympian Jove ought surely to have 
bestowed honour upon me ; and now has he not honoured 
me the least, but the contrary 3 , for the son of Atreus, wide- 355 
ruling Agamemnon, has in fact insulted me ; he has taken 
from me my prize, — himself depriving me of it. 

Thus spake he, weeping. And him his revered mother 
heard, as she sat in the depths of the ocean beside her aged 
father. And she rose in haste from the surging sea, like 
a mist; and then she sat beside him, as he wept, and took 3(30 
him by the hand 4 , and addressed 5 him, and called him by 
his name. 

" Son, why weepest thou ? and what sorrow has touched 

1 In his rage, Achilles refuses to assist not merely Agamemnon, hut the 
whole army. Supply — I will not lend my services, and he cannot supply my 
absence, for, &c. 

2 What is before and what is behind — i. e. to compare them — to judge of 
one by the other. 

3 i.e. So far from consulting for my honour, he permits Agamemnon to 
insult me. 

4 Caressed him. 5 Spoke a word to him, and called him by his name. 



14 ILIAD I.— V. 363—392. 

thy breast ? Declare it, nor hide it in thy soul, that we 
both may know it." 

And, sighing deeply, the swift-footed Achilles replied to 

365 her : " Thou knowest ; why should I tell these matters to 
thee, acquainted with them all? We marched against 
Thebe, Eetion's sacred 1 city, and we plundered it, and 
brought all the spoils hither. And these divided well 
among themselves the sons of the Achaeans; and they 

370 selected for Agamemnon the fair-cheeked daughter of 
Chryses. But Chryses, the priest of the far-darting Apollo, 
came afterwards to the swift ships of the brazen-mailed 
Achaeans 2 , to redeem his daughter, bringing a boundless 
ransom, and bearing in his hands a chaplet of the far- 
darting Apollo, upon a golden rod. And he supplicated 

375 all the Achaeans, but especially the two sons of Atreus, 
the commanders of the troops. Then all the other Achaeans 
attested then- readiness to respect the priest, and accept the 
rich ransom. But it pleased not the soul of Agamemnon, 
son of Atreus ; for he dismissed him harshly, and added a 
severe threat. And the old man departed indignant : and 

380 Ap ouo heard him, while praying, for he was very dear to 
him. And he shot a destructive arrow among the Argives ; 
and the people now died, one after another, and the wea- 
pons of the God went still in all directions throughout the 

385 wide army of the Achaeans. And now a skilful prophet 
explained the divine will 3 of Apollo. Forthwith I was 
the first to advise them to appease the God; and then 
rage seized Atrides; and, instantly rising, he uttered a 

390 threat, which has now been accomplished. For the noble 
Achaeans send her to Chrysa in a swift ship, and carry 
offerings to the king (Apollo): and the heralds have just 



1 Great or noble. 'Ifpoc, like StiGg and diog, is used for any thing superior. 

2 Brazen-coated. 

3 Qeo7rpo7nag — not strictly " oracles," for none were given. The priest is 
supposed to have had private communication with the deity ; or to have 
known how to interpret the will of the gods from express tokens, or natural 
phenomena. 



ILIAD I.— V. 393—422. 15 

quitted my tent, taking with them the maid Briseis, whom 
the sons of the Achaeans gave to me. But do thou, for 
tliou canst, protect thy son. Going to Olympus, intreat 
Jove to assist me, if ever thou didst gratify the heart of 395 
Jove, by word or deed. For I have heard thee often 
boast in the halls of my father, when thou saidst that thou 
alone, among the immortals, did ward off from the cloud- 
collecting son of Saturn unworthy defeat, when the other 
inhabitants of Olympus, Juno, Neptune, and Pallas Minerva, 4qq 
wished to bind him in chains. But thou, O Goddess, com- 
ing, freed him from his bonds by quickly calling to high 
Olympus, him of the hundred hands, whom the Gods call 
Briareus, and all men, ^Egeon ; for he was stronger than 
his father \ He then sat beside the son of Saturn, exulting 495 
in glory 2 ; — and him the blessed Gods dreaded, and at- 
tempted no longer to bind Jupiter. Reminding him of 
these things now, sit down by him and take him by the 
knees 3 , and ask if he will some way or other give assistance 
to the Trojans, and drive the Achaeans slaughtered to their 
ships, and the sea, that they may all have the full benefit 410 
of their king, and that the son of Atreus, the far-ruling 
Agamemnon, may know his folly, when he honoured nothing 
the mightiest of Achaeans." 

Then Thetis, shedding tears, replied, si Alas ! my son, 
why did I bring thee up — unhappily giving thee birth? 
Would that thou couldst have remained by thy ships, free 41 5 
from tears and troubles, since indeed short is thy fate — 
not veiy long. And now both short-lived and miserable 
art thou above all ; and therefore with an ill omen, I 
brought thee forth in our halls. I will, however, myself 
go to snowy Olympus, and deliver this message to Jove, 420 
who delights in thunder, and see if he can be persuaded. 
And do thou now, sitting beside the swift ships, nurse thy 

1 " Because he was better than his father in strength." He was the son 
of Neptune. 

2 i. e. Of having rescued Jupiter. 

3 {. e. In that attitude of supplication, ask him, if, &c. 



1G ILIAD I.— V. 422—453. 

wrath against the Achseans, and abstain altogether from 
war. For Jupiter went yesterday to Oceanus, to the 
blameless Ethiopians, to a feast, and all the gods accom- 

425 panied him. But on the twelfth day he will come again 
to Olympus, and then will I certainly repair to the 
brazen mansion of Jove, and embrace his knees; and I 
trust he will be prevailed upon." 

Having thus spoken she departed ; and left him there, 

430 indignant in his soul on account of the lovely maid l , whom 
they had taken from him against his will. 

And Ulysses came to Chrysa, conducting the sacred 
hecatomb. And when at length they arrived within the 
deep harbour, they furled the sails, and stowed them in 
the black ship ; and let down the mast to its receptacle 2 , 

435 lowering it quickly by the braces. But the vessel they 
impelled to her station with oars, and cast out the anchors, 
and made fast the cable ; and the crew landed upon the 
shore of the sea, and disembarked the hecatomb for the 
far-darting Apollo. And the daughter of Chryses also 

440 landed from the sea-crossing ship. Then wise Ulysses, 
leading her to the altar, gave her into the hands of her 
beloved father, and thus addressed him : 

£i O Chryses ; Agamemnon, king of men, has sent me 
to bring thee back thy daughter, and to offer on the part 
of the Danaans a sacred hecatomb to Phoebus, that we 

445 may appease the king (Apollo), who has now sent grievous 
troubles upon the Argives." 

Thus, having spoken, he gave her into his hands ; and 
Chryses received his dear daughter, delighted ; whilst the 
others speedily arranged around the well-built altar the 
noble hecatomb for the god ; and then they washed their 

450 hands and took up the salt and barley. And Chryses 
prayed for them with a loud voice, lifting up his hands : 

i( Hear me, God of the silver bow, thou who dost pro- 
tect Chrysa and the glorious Cilia, and dost by thy power 

1 With a beautiful waist — a swelling bosom. 

2 The place in the ship where it was usually placed, when not elevated. 



ILIAD I.— V. 453—475. 17 

govern Tcncdos ; thou didst once before hear me when I 
prayed to thee. Thou hast honoured me, and done much 
mischief to the people of the Achaeans. And again now 455 
too fulfil for me this prayer. Put away now from the 
Danaans this foul pestilence." 

Thus spake he, praying ; and Phoebus Apollo heard 
him. And then after they had prayed, and cast down the 
salt and barley 1 , they drew back first the heads of the 
victims, and cut their throats, and skinned them, and cut 
off the hind legs, and covered them with the caul, making 
it double 2 , and placed morsels of flesh (cut from different 460 
parts of the victim) upon them. Then the old man burnt 
them upon cleft wood, and poured ruddy wine over them ; 
and while beside him young men held long forks 3 in their 
hands. And when the legs were quite consumed, and 
they had tasted the entrails, they divided the rest into 465 
small pieces, and pierced them with spits, and cooked them 
carefully, and drew them all off again. And when they 
had accomplished the labour, and prepared the feast, they 
ate, nor did the appetite of any fail of a just feast 4 . And 
after they had removed the desire of eating and drinking, 
the attendants crowned goblets with wine ; and with cups, 470 
beginning from the right, they distributed them to all. 
And the youths of the Achaeans all day propitiated the 
God with singing, chanting a beautiful paean, and cele- 
brating the Far-darter; and he was delighted 5 to hear 
them. And w r hen the sun had set, and darkness sue- 475 

1 ovXoxvrai scil. KpiOat. The mola salsa of the Latins. No good autho- 
rity for supposing the barley was whole — much more likely coarsely ground, 
or pounded. The mixture was held over the victims, whilst the priest 
prayed, and, at the conclusion of the prayer, cast on the heads of the victims 
— which were thus consecrated. 

2 They wrapt the legs, or the bones of the legs (ra fit]piaia oorea, Schol.) 
twice around with the caul. 

3 With five prongs. The fork was used, apparently, to keep the parts of 
the offering together on the altar — that all might be burnt. 

4 i. e. Every one had his due share. 

5 In <pprjv — seat of sensation. 

C 



18 ILIAD I — V. 476—504. 

ceeded, then slept they beside the hawsers 1 of their 
ship. 

And when the rosy-fingered Aurora, daughter of the 
morn, appeared, then they steered back towards the broad 
army of the Achaeans. And the far-darting Apollo then 

480 sent a fair wind, and they erected their mast, and spread 
their white sails ; and the breeze filled the middle of the sail, 
and the purple wave roared loud around the keel, as the 
ship scudded away; and she bounded along, cutting her 
path through the billows. And when they reached the broad 

485 army of the Achaeans, they drew the black ship upon the 
strand, high upon the sands, and propped her up with 
long scantlings 2 : and themselves dispersed to their tents 
and ships. 

Meanwhile the noble son of Peleus, swift-footed Achilles, 

490 continued in anger, sitting by the quick-moving ships, 
nor ever went to the glorious 3 council, nor ever into war ; 
but it fretted his heart remaining there, for he longed for 
the shout and the battle. 

And when at last the twelfth morning from that day 
had arrived, then also the everlasting gods went all toge- 

495 ther to Olympus, with Jove at their head * • and Thetis 
was not forgetful of the commands of her son, but emerged 
from the wave of the sea, and mounted at an early hour 
to the great heaven, and Olympus. And she found the 
far-thundering son of Saturn, apart from the rest, sitting 
upon the highest summit of the many-topped Olympus. 

500 And she placed herself beside him, and embraced his 
knees with her left hand, and taking him with her right 
by the beard, in a suppliant 5 manner, she addressed king 
Jove, the son of Saturn : 

" O father Jove, if ever I assisted thee among the im- 

1 irpvfxvriaia — the cables by which the Trpvpvt), or stern, was secured to a 
capstan on the shore. 

2 Literally — and stretched under her long props. 

3 Containing illustrious men — or where men distinguish themselves. 

4 And Jupiter went first. 5 And supplicating. 



ILIAD I.— V. 504—528. 19 

mortals by word or deed, accomplish for me this desire. 
Give honour to my son, — he who is doomed to be the 505 
shortest-lived of all others. Him, nevertheless, has the king 
of men, Agamemnon, now insulted ; for he has seized his 
prize, himself depriving him. But do thou honour him, O 
Olympian, all- wise Jove. Give victory to the Trojans, till 510 
the Achaeans honour my son, and treat him with more 
respect l . 

Thus she spake ; and the cloud-compelling Jove an- 
swered not, but sat long silent. And Thetis, as she em- 
braced his knees, as she still clung to him 2 , besought him 
again a second time : 

i( Positively promise now and confirm it to me, or refuse 
— for thou canst have no fears — that, if thou refusest, I 
may well know how much, among all, I am the Goddess 515 
most dishonoured 3 ." 

And her the cloud-collecting Jove, much disturbed, ad- 
dressed: u It will be indeed a bad business; for thou wilt 
force me to quarrel with Juno, when she irritates me with 
opprobrious words 4 . And even as it is 5 , she is always, 520 
among the immortal gods, upbraiding me, and says that I 
aid the Trojans in battle. Go thou then now away again, 
lest Juno behold thee ; and these requests shall be my 
care, that I may fulfil them. But if 6 — come, I will bow down 
with my head to thee, that thou mayst have reliance. For 
this from me, in particular, is the greatest pledge among 525 
immortals — for that word of mine, which I confirm by my 
head, is neither revocable, nor delusive, nor capable of non- 
fulfilment." 

The son of Saturn spake, and bent with his dark brows. 

1 And increase him with honour ; i. e. vindicate his honour — by avenging 
the wrong he has received. 

2 Clinging to him as she was. 

3 i. e. How far, beyond all others, I am disregarded most. 

4 i. e. because she will hear of his promise, and will abuse him for favour- 
ing the Trojans. 

5 In this way — x. e. under present circumstances, and without such cause. 

6 s. c. if you wish it. 

c2 



20 ILIAD I.— V. 529—553. 

And the ambrosial hair of the king waved from his im- 

530 mortal head, and he shook the vast Olympus. Thus hav- 
ing deliberated, they parted. She then leaped down from 
resplendent Olympus into the deep sea ; and Jupiter re- 
paired to his own mansion. And all the gods at once rose 
from their seats, in the presence of their father ; nor did 

535 any dare, sitting, await his coming, but all stood up before 
him. 

Thus he sat down there upon his throne. Nor was 
Juno ignorant — having seen her — that the silver-footed 
Thetis, daughter of the aged sea-god, had been plotting l 
with him. Immediately, therefore, she addressed Jupiter, 
the son of Saturn, with taunting words : 

540 " Which of the gods again has been plotting with thee, 
juggler ? It is ever thy delight, apart from me 2 , to plan 
and decide clandestinely ; nor willingly couldst thou ever 
bear to tell me a word of what thou purposest 3 ." 

And to her then the father of gods and men replied : 

545 e( Juno, never hope to know all my counsels, for that would 
be impracticable 4 for thee, although thou art my wife. 
What, however, is proper for thee to hear, that shall then 
no one either of gods or of men know before thee ; but as 
to what I may choose to plan apart from the gods, do not 

550 thou inquire about any such matters, nor pry into 
them." 

And to him then the large-eyed 5 , imperial 6 Juno an- 
swered: "Most despotic Chronides, what word is this 



1 Consulting — planning measures. 

2 It is ever pleasant to thee, being apart from me, clandestinely planning, 
to decide. 

3 £7ro£, on vorjaeig, i. e. any of thy measures. 

4 They would be difficult — i. e. too much for thee. 

5 (3o(oirig. Etymologically, the word applies at least as much to the 
general countenance, or aspect, as to the eyes, fiovg seems, in compounds, 
expressive of any thing large — as with us, bull-head, bull-rush, &c. M eyes- 
tic, or noble, may perhaps be more applicable than ox-eyed. 

izoTVia. Venerable has become inseparably coupled with age. August, 
or imperial, seems more appropriate. 



ILIAD I.— V. 554—573. 21 

which thou hast spoken l ? It is long since 2 I have either 
questioned thee, or pryed into thy measures; but, quite 
undisturbed by me, thou plannest what thou wilt. But 555 
now I am much afraid 3 , lest the silver-footed Thetis, 
daughter of the old sea-god, has seduced thee 4 ; for early 
this morning she sat beside thee, and embraced thy knees : 
and on that account, I suspect thou hast really promised 
her 5 , that thou wouldest give honour to Achilles, and 
destroy many of the Achaeans at their ships." 

And the cloud-collecting Jove answered her and said : 560 
" Goddess 6 ! thou art always suspecting, nor can I ever 
escape thee r . Thou wilt not, however, be able to do 
any thing 8 , but wilt only become more abhorrent from 
my heart ; and that will be even worse for thee. And if 
that be so 9 , it will be agreeable to me. But sit down 
silent, and obey my command, lest not all the gods of 565 
Olympus can protect thee against me, on my approach l , 
when I lay upon thee my invincible hands." 

Thus he spake, and the large-eyed imperial Juno was 
alarmed ; and she in consequence sat down in silence, 
bending her heart 2 ; and the celestial Gods were distressed 570 
at the sight throughout the abode of Jove. And Vulcan, 
the skilful artist, began to address them, from affection 3 
for his dear mother, the white-armed Juno : 

1 What speech is this of thine ? 

2 \iijv 7rapog. Long before — or rather perhaps — never. 

3 I am fearful in my heart, — <[>pr)v — the midriff, as the seat of some of the 
passions — of fear at least. 

4 Trapinry — turned you from your purpose — or drawn you to hers. 

5 Ko.Tavi.vaai sTTjrvfiov — bend the head in confirmation — significant of an 
irrevocable promise. 

6 AatfiovL — with an angry emphasis. 

7 Do any thing without your detecting it. 

8 i. e. by such meddling and prying. 

9 i. e. if you do become odious to me. 

1 tovQ' must be (if the word be correct) tovra, and can only apply to Jupiter. 

2 Forcing her heart to submission — suppressing her indignation. 

3 Literally — bringing or doing agreeable things — gratifying — and six lines 
below, Vulcan exhorts his mother, in the same phrase, to gratify Jove — i. e. 
to obey. 



22 ILIAD I.— V. 574—601. 

" This will indeed be a sad business 1 , and even intolera- 
ble^ if for the sake of mortals you two quarrel in this man- 

575 ner, and excite a tumult among the Gods; nor will there 
be any comfort in the good feast, when quarrels 2 prevail. 
But I advise my mother, though she herself knows what is 
proper to do, to give way to my dear father Jove, that he 
may not again chide, and disturb our feast. For if the 

580 Olympic Thunderer 3 choose to hurl us from our seats, he 
can ; for he is far the most powerful. Do thou then appease 
him with gentle words, and the Olympian will then be in 
good humour again with us all" 

Thus he spake ; and rising, he put a double cup 4 in the 

585 hands of his dear mother, and thus addressed her : 

" Bear with it, my mother, and support it, grieved 
though thou art ; nor let me with these eyes behold thee, 
so dear to me, punished 5 ; since then I shall not be able 

590 at all to aid thee, however grieved, for the Olympian is hard 
to be resisted. For once, before, seizing me by the foot, 
he cast me — endeavouring to assist thee — from the celestial 
threshold. And all day I was borne along, and at sun-set 
I fell in Lemnos — and little was the breath still in me — 
where falling the Sintiens forthwith took me up V 

595 Thus he spake, and the white-armed Goddess Juno 
smiled ; and smiling, she took the cup from the hand of 
her son. And beginning on the right, he poured out wine 
for all the other Gods, drawing sweet nectar from the 
bowl. Then loud laughter 7 rose among the blessed Gods 

600 when they beheld Vulcan ministering 8 to them through 
the halls. 



1 Pestilent, or mischievous things — plaguy. 

2 x e P tl0Va > *• e ' * ne ^oiyia epya — opposed toafiuvova — (5e\riova. 

3 Discharger of lightning. 

4 Afi<piKV7rs\Xov. Strictly a vessel with a cup at each end, for mutual 
pledges at drinking parties. 

5 Beaten. 6 Took care of me — brought me to life again. 

7 Unextinguishable. 

8 Playing the waiter — possibly pledging each — the whole circle — which 
might be the occasion of the laughter. 



ILIAD I.— V. 602— 611. 23 

Thus then they feasted all clay until sun-set, nor was the 
appetite ungratitied with a full feast, or with the beautiful 
lyre which Apollo held \ or with the Muses who sang 
alternating with delightful voice. 

And when the splendid light of the sun had set, they 605 
each went home to rest, where for each the renowned 
Vulcan, lame in both feet, had built with good skill an 
apartment. 

And Jove, the Olympic Thunderer, went to his couch, 
where he was before wont to recline, when sweet sleep 
came upon him. And ascending it, he there slept ; and 610 
beside him Juno, Goddess of the golden throne. 

1 And playing of course. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER. 



BOOK IT. 



ARGUMENT. 

Jupiter, in pursuance of his purpose to distress the Grecians, in answer to 
the prayer of Thetis, deceives Agamemnon by a dream. He, in conse- 
quence of it, calls a council, the result of which is, that the army should 
go forth to battle. Thersites is mutinous, and is chastised by Ulysses. 
Ulysses, Nestor, and Agamemnon, harangue the people ; and preparation 
is made for battle. An exact account follows of the forces on both sides. 

The other Gods and warriors r slept all night ; but sweet 
repose came not upon Jove ; for he in fact was revolving 
in his mind how he might do honour to Achilles, and 
5 destroy many of the Achaeans at their ships. And this 
plan appeared best to his mind, to send a delusive 2 dream 
to Agamemnon, son of Atreus. 

Having called him, therefore, he uttered these winged 
words : ie Away, delusive Dream, to the swift ships of the 
Achaeans. Go to the tent 3 of Agamemnon, son of Atreus, 
10 and repeat all things very carefully 4 as I charge thee. Bid 
him arm the long-haired Achaeans in full force ; for now 
he may take the broad-streeted city of the Trojans; since 
the immortals, who possess the mansions of Olympus, no 

1 'iTrTTOKopvcrrai — those who fought, armed, in war-cars. 

2 And through delusion destructive. 

3 Going to the tent, take care to tell him, &c. 

4 arpsKeojg — i, e. in the same words — expressly. 



ILIAD II.— V. 15—38. 25 

longer consult two ways 1 , for Juno, having entreated them, 15 
has bent 2 them all ; and evils impend over the Trojans." 

Thus he spake, and then the Dream departed as soon 
as he had heard the order. Forthwith he came to the 
swift ships of the Achaeans, and then repaired to the tent 
of Agamemnon, son of Atreus. Him he found reposing 
in his tent, and around him was shed ambrosial sleep. 
And then he stood over his head, resembling Nestor, the 20 
son of Neleus, whom 3 Agamemnon honoured most of the 
old men. Having made himself like Nestor 4 , the divine 
Dream addressed him : 

u Sleepest thou, son of brave Atreus, the tamer of 
horses 5 ? It becomes not a chief 6 , to whose charge nations 25 
are committed, and who has so many cares upon him, to 
sleep all night. Now, therefore, attend to me quickly; 
for I am a messenger to thee from Jove, who, though far 
distant, is very anxious about thee, and pities thee. He 
orders thee to arm the long-haired Achaeans in full force, 
for now mayst thou take the broad-streeted city of the 
Trojans; since the immortals who possess the mansions of 30 
Olympus no longer differ in opinion ; for Juno has con- 
ciliated all by her intreaties ; and evils from Jove impend 
over the Trojans. Keep then these things in thy mind, nor 
let forgetfulness seize upon thee, when sweet sleep has 
left thee." 

Then, having thus spoken, he departed, and left him 35 
there meditating in his mind on things which, however, 
were not to be accomplished. For he thought 7 , like a fool, 
that he should take the city of Priam, on that day; and knew 



1 i. e. Differ in opinion — think or plan dividedly. 

2 Has reconciled them — brought them to one. 

3 top pa — he, that is, whom, &c. ; indicating the reason why he Avas selected. 

4 Having made himself like to him. 

5 ;7T7ro£a/xoio — a warrior, one especially who fought or drove in war-cars — 
not on foot. 

6 /3ow\?j0opov avSpa — counsellor — one who shares in the counsels of the 
state, or army — or directs them. 

7 <\>t) — said to himself. 



26 ILIAD II.— V. 39—68. 

not what deeds Jove was planning : for he was going to 
40 inflict more labours and sorrows on the Achaaans and Tro- 
jans through hard-fought battles. And Agamemnon started 
from his sleep, while the divine voice was yet floating 
around him. And he sat upright \ and put on his soft 
tunic, beautiful and new ; and next threw his large cloak 
about him. And he bound his beautiful sandals beneath 
his clean feet, and then about his shoulders hung the silver- 
45 studded sword. And he took his paternal sceptre, ever 
imperishable 2 , with which he walked to the ships of the 
brass-mailed Achasans. 

Meanwhile, the goddess Morn ascended high Olympus 
to report to Jove and the other immortals the approach of 
50 light; and Agamemnon ordered the loud-tongued heralds 
to call to assembly the long-haired 3 Achaeans. And they 
proclaimed the meeting, and the people very speedily as- 
sembled. But first a council sat of noble old men, at 
the ship of Nestor the Pylian-born king * ; these having 
55 called together, he with them a prudent plan arranged. 

" Hear me, my friends. A divine 5 Dream came to me, 
while I slept, during the ambrosial night; and he resem- 
bled, most particularly, the noble Nestor, in appearance, 
in stature, and in person. And he stood over my head, 
60 and reported his commission to me. Sleepest thou, son of 
brave Atreus, tamer of horses ? It becomes not a chief, 
to whom nations are entrusted, and who has so many cares 
upon him, to sleep all night. Now therefore attend to me 
quickly; for I am a messenger to thee from Jove, who, 
65 though far distant, is very anxious about thee, and pities 
thee. He orders thee to arm the long-haired Achaeans in 
full force, for now thou mayst take the wide-streeted city 
of the Trojans ; since the immortals who possess the man- 



1 Being raised upright, he sat in that position. 

2 As being hereditary — an heir-loom. 

3 Havmg hair on their heads — worn long. 

4 At the Nestorean ship of the king, horn at Pylus. 

5 Quoq — as being a divinity — or as dispatched by Jove. 



ILIAD II.— V. 6S— 93. .'27 

sions of Olympus are no longer of different opinions, for 
Juno conciliates them all with her intreaties; and evils 
from Jove impend over the Trojans. Keep then these things 70 
in thy mind. Thus having spoken, he went away, flying 
from me; and sweet sleep left me. Come then, let us 
consult how we shall arm the sons of the Achaeans. I will 
first, as usual 1 , tiy them with a speech 2 ; and will advise 
them to fly with their ships of many benches 3 ; and do 75 
you one in one place, and another in another, endeavour 
to restrain them by your words V 

Having thus spoken, he then sat down : and Nestor, 
he who was king of sandy Pylus, rose, and harangued them 
with prudence, and said : 

u My friends, leaders and chiefs of the Argives, if any 
other of the Achaeans had told this dream, we should have 80 
pronounced it to be false, and have been revolted rather 5 . 
But now he has seen it, who justly boasts to be the very- 
greatest in the army 6 . Therefore come, let us see if we 
can arm the sons of the Achaeans/ 5 

Thus having spoken, he began to depart from the coun- 
cil ; and the sceptered kings arose next, and obeyed the 85 
shepherd of the people. And the troops thronged toge- 
ther- — as swarms of crowding 7 bees, which come ever in 
fresh 8 numbers from the hollow rock, and fly in clusters 
over the vernal flowers, and thickly some fly in this direc- 90 
tion, and some in that ; so of the people did many nations 
from the ships and tents march in companies along the 
vast shore to the place of assembly. And in the midst of 

1 y Oe/uig e<r-i. It was the business of the king to state to the general 
assembly the object of the meeting. 

2 L e. find out how they are disposed — by proposing flight rather than 
battle, which was his real purpose. 

3 7ro\vKkr]iai. Therefore — large ships. 

4 From the flight, which I shall affect to urge. 

5 fiaXkov — but rather have turned away from it — than have been per- 
suaded by it. 

6 And of course a person entitled to credit. 

7 Or humming — the original word is as frequently expressive of sounds as 
numbers. s E vcr newly. 



28 ILIAD II.—- V. 93—117. 

them, Rumour, the messenger of Jove, raged, urging them 
to proceed 1 ; and they were now collected. And the 

95 assembly was in commotion, and the earth groaned under 
them, as the people were taking their seats, and there was 
a loud clamour; but nine heralds exclaiming, restrained 
them, in order that they might 2 cease from their noise, 
and listen to the heaven-protected kings. And at last with 
difficulty the people sat down, and were kept in their seats, 

100 desisting from their clamour 3 ; and king Agamemnon 
arose, holding in his hand the sceptre which Vulcan had 
toiled to form 4 . Vulcan had given it to king Jove, the 
son of Saturn, and Jupiter next bestowed it upon his 
messenger, the slayer of Argus ; and king Mercury pre- 
sented it to the noble Pelops 5 ; and Pelops again gave it to 

105 Atreus, shepherd of the people. And Atreus, at his death, 
left it to Thyestes, rich in cattle; and Thyestes again 
bequeathed it to be borne by Agamemnon, that with it he 
might govern many islands, and the whole of Argos. 
Leaning upon this, he spake these words to the Argives. 

110 My friends, Danaan heroes, servants of Mars ! Jove, 
the son of Saturn, has involved me in a very heavy 
calamity. Cruel God, who formerly promised, and con- 
firmed that promise with a nod, that I should return home, 
having destroyed well-fortified Ilium 6 . And now he 
planned a sad deception 7 , and orders me, inglorious, to 

115 return to Argos, after I have lost many of my people. 
Thus it seems 8 , somehow or other {ttov), agreeable to 
almighty Jove, who has already overthrown the heights 

1 i. e. the report spread rapidly through the army of a general 
meeting. 

2 enroTi. — in order that they might, &e. 

3 Having made themselves stop from — ceasing — i. e. the noise and tumult 
bemg quelled. 

4 Which Vulcan had toiled forming. 

5 Tr\r}%nriroQ — horse-pricker — as a warrior who fought in war-cars — and 
celebrated for his coachmanship. 

6 That I should not return home till I had destroyed, &c. 

7 He planned a deception — i. e. his promise was delusive. 

8 fieWu — it seems — as, apparently, is often the meaning of the term. 



ILIAD II.— V. 118—147. 29 

of many states ', and will still overthrow more, for his power 
is very great. For 2 it will be disgraceful even for our pos- 
terity to learn that such and so great an army of Achaeans 120 
vainly waged a fruitless war, and fought with men less 
numerous than themselves; and that no good result 
appeared. For if we, Achaeans and Trojans, should, 
making a truce 3 , both be numbered, and the Trojans, as 125 
many as are natives, should assemble, and we Achaeans be 
drawn up in decades, and we should choose one man of 
the Trojans to pour out wine for each, many decades would 
be without a cup-bearer *. So much I affirm the Achaeans 130 
are more in number than the Trojans who inhabit the city. 
But there are allies from many states, warlike men 5 , who 
greatly baffle, and prevent G me from destroying, as I wish, 
the well-peopled town of Ilium. Nine years of mighty 
Jove 7 have now gone by, and now the timbers of our ships 135 
are rotten, and the cordage is decayed. Our wives and 
our young children sit in our halls expecting us ; and our 
work, for which we came hither, remains thus unfinished. 
Come then, let us all obey as I advise ; let us fly with the 140 
ships to our beloved native land, for never shall we take 
wide-streeted Troy." 

Thus he spake, and agitated the hearts of all throughout 
the multitude, as many as had not heard his plan 8 . And 
the assembly was shaken like the huge billows of the 
Icarian sea, which Eurus and Notus have raised, rushing 145 
on them from the clouds of father Jove; or, as when 
Zephyrus, coming furious, waves a field of high standing 



1 Kapqva — " the summits" — the Acropolis, or citadel. 

2 yap — referring to SvaicXea. (line 115). 

3 Having struck sacred victims — i. e. to sanction a truce. 

4 Without a pourer out of wine. 

5 *yx £(T7ra ^ 01 — men who brandish spears. 
c Suffer me not. 

7 i. e. tK Atoc — compare Od. JSJ. 93. 

8 i. e. the measure decided upon in the council — all were excited, except 
those who were in the secret — who had been present at the council of the 
chiefs. 



30 ILIAD II.— V. 148—173. 

corn, rushing over it, and the corn bends under it ' ; thus 
was all the assembly of Achaeans moved. Some rushed 

150 with a shout to the ships, and the excited dust rose from 
beneath their feet; and others exhorted one another to 
seize the ships, and drag them to the mighty ocean ; and 
cleared out the channels. The shout of these, eager 2 for 
home, ascended to heaven, and they took the props 3 from 
beneath the ships. 

155 Then would a return have been effected by the Argives, 

in spite of fate, had not Juno addressed herself to Minerva: 

F Oh ! unconquered daughter of aegis-bearing Jove, shall 

the Argives thus at last fly home to their loved native land, 

over the broad backs of the sea ? and leave, as a triumph 

160 to Priam, and to the Trojans, Argive Helen, for whose sake 
many of the Achaeans have perished at Troy, far from their 
dear native land ? Go then down at once to the army of 
the brazen-mailed Achaeans, and restrain each man with 
thy persuasive words, nor suffer them to drag to the sea 

165 their double-oared ships 5 ." 

Thus she spake, nor was the blue-eyed goddess Minerva 
disobedient. For she descended from the summits of 
Olympus rushing, and quickly reached the swift ships of 
the Achaeans. Then she found Ulysses, a man equal to 

170 Jupiter in counsel, standing 6 , — he was not laying hold 
of his good 7 black ship, for sorrow had come upon his 
heart and soul. And blue-eyed Minerva stood near him, 
and said : 

" Noble son of Laertes, Ulysses, man of many counsels 8 , 

1 rjfxvei — Xqiov is the nom. case. The standing corn bends with the ears 
to the ground. . 

2 The shout of those who were hastening to the ships. 

3 k piiar a, frames or stocks, on which the vessels were kept dry — or mere 
props. 

4 vojto. — backs — while our poets speak of the bosom of the waters. 

5 Having oars on both sides. 

6 i. e. not hastening, like others, to the ships, but deliberating whether he 
should assist in carrying Agamemnon's plan into execution. 

7 With good benches — i. e. well equipped. 

8 As if never at a loss for expedients. 

12 



ILIAD II.— V. 174—202. 31 

so at last will ye fly home to your loved native land, 
embarking* in your ships of many benches 1 ? And would 175 
ye leave, as a triumph to Priam and the Trojans, Argive 
Helen, for whose sake many of the Achaeans have fallen at 
Troy, far from their dear native land ? Go then forthwith to 
the army of the Achaeans, and hesitate not ; but restrain 180 
each man with thy persuasive words, nor suffer them to 
drag to the sea their double-oared ships." 

Thus she spake, and he knew the voice of the goddess 
who addressed him. And he set out to run 2 , and threw 
from him his cloak ; and the herald Eurybates, of Ithaca, 
who followed him, took it up. And meeting 3 Agamemnon, 185 
the son of Atreus, he received from him the ancestral scep- 
tre, ever-imperishable, with which he went down to the 
ships of the brazen-mailed Achaeans. 

And whatever king or chief he overtook — standing be- 
side him, he stopt him with gentle words : 

" It does not become thee, friend 4 , to be thus alarmed, 190 
like a coward. Sit down thyself, and make the rest of the 
men sit, for thou knowest not clearly yet what the inten- 
tion of Atrides is. He is now proving you, and will quickly 
scourge the sons of the Achaeans. We have not all heard 
what he said in the council 5 . Therefore beware, lest in his 
anger he do some mischief to the sons of the Achaeans. 195 
For the anger of the heaven-protected king is mighty; and 
his authority is from Jove, and wise Jupiter loves him." 

But, on the other hand, whatever man of the common 
people he saw, and found shouting, he struck him with 
the sceptre, and reproved him in these words : 

" Sirrah ! be quiet, and listen to the commands of others, 200 
who are thy superiors ; for thou art unwarlike and weak, 
and never worthy to be numbered in battle or in council. 

1 i. e. large. 

2 Began to run — set off in haste. 

3 And coming opposite to. 

* Aaifxovu. The force of the word, it may be supposed, depended mainly 
on the tone of the speaker. Compare line 200 below. 

5 Only certain yepovres, (line 53) were there — Ulysses of course was one. 



32 ILIAD II.— V. 204—228. 

We Achaeans cannot all be kings here. The government 

205 of many is not good; let there be one chief only, one 
king — he to whom the son of crafty Saturn gives a sceptre, 
and laws l to reign over the people 2 ." 

Thus he, commanding, directed the army. And they 
again rushed from the ships and tents to assembly with 

210 a shout — as when the waves of the roaring sea break upon 
the mighty shore, and the deep rebellows. 

The rest then sat down, and were kept quiet in their 
seats. And the prating Thersites was the only one who 
still babbled, a man who disorderly, and much was wont 3 
to upbraid the chiefs — idly, and not with propriety, but with 

215 whatever seemed likely to produce laughter 4 among the Ar- 
gives. He was the most miserable looking man 5 who came 
to Ilium. He was bandy-legged 6 , and lame of one foot ; 
his shoulders were round, and drawn together over his 
breast ; and his head was sharp towards the top, and a few 

220 straggling hairs grew upon it. To Achilles and Ulysses he 
was particularly offensive, for he was wont to abuse them. 
And now again he railed 7 at the noble Agamemnon, 
screaming sharp ; and the Achaeans were exceedingly 
angry with Agamemnon, and with one mind indignant. 
Loudly bawling, therefore, he reviled Agamemnon 8 : 

225 (i Of what again dost thou complain, son of Atreus, or 
what dost thou desire ? Thy tents are full of brass 9 , and 
many choice dames are in thy tents, which we Achaeans 
bestow upon thee before all others 10 , whenever we capture 

1 Periphrasis for sovereign power. 2 atpiai — the word has no reference. 

3 Who knew in his mind — was familiar with coarse expressions — knew 
how to use them in contentions with the chiefs, and, by implication, was in 
the hah it of using them. 

4 Seemed to be laughable. 5 aiax^roQ. 

6 If the Latin valgus be, as is probable enough, a softened form of $o\koq, 
there can be no doubt of this sense. The word occurs nowhere else ; and to 
take it for squinting seems mere guess-work. 

7 Uttered insults or reproaches. 

8 With words, i. e. abused, or scolded him. 

9 i. e. vessels, armour. &c. of this metal — brass, or more correctly perhaps, 
copper, 10 HpuiTiartp. 



ILIAD II.— V. 230—252. 33 

1 town. Or dost thou still want gold, which one of the 230 
Trojans, tamers of horses, shall bring from Troy, as a ran- 
som for his son, whom I or some other of the Achaeans 
have brought a captive '? Or a young woman, that thou 
mayst enjoy the pleasures of love, and whom thou mayst 
thyself possess — apart from others 2 . It becomes not the 
man who is chief in command, to bring calamities upon the 
sons of the Achaeans. O wretches, miserable cowards ! 235 
Achaean women, no longer Achaean men, let us return 
home with the ships ; and let us leave this man here to 
enjoy his honours in Troy, that he may know, whether it 
is really we who protect him or not — He who has now 
insulted Achilles, a man much more valiant than himself, 240 
for he has seized his prize, himself depriving him 3 . And 
certainly there is no gall in the soul of Achilles, but he is 
very forgiving ; — otherwise, son of Atreus, thou wouldst for 
the last time have wronged him." 

Thus spake Thersites, reviling Agamemnon, the shep- 
herd of the people. But the godlike Ulysses stood speedily 
beside him, and looking sternly at him, with a rough 245 
speech reproved him. 

" Thersites, brainless babbler 4 — sonorous orator though 
thou beest 5 , cease, nor be the only one who desires to 
strive with kings ; for I affirm that there is not a man 6 
more base than thou of all who came with the sons of 
Atreus to Ilium. Thou, therefore, shouldst not prate 250 
about kings 7 , nor offer insults to them, nor be upon the 
watch for return 8 . As yet, indeed, we know not clearly 
how these matters will be — whether, well or ill, we sons of 



1 Literally — bound. 2 With allusion to Briseis. 

3 i. e. for himself. 

4 aKpiTofxvQt. — i. e. a man of much speech without judgment — without 
knowing where to leave off — an eternal babbler. 

5 Although being a loud or sonorous orator — ironically. 6 Another. 
7 Thou, therefore, having kings in thy mouth, shouldst not harangue. 

B i.e. as too good an occasion fur abuse to be lost. 

D 



34 ILIAD II.— V. 254—278. 

Achaeans shall return \ Yet 2 now sittest thou, reviling 
the son of Atreus, Agamemnon, shepherd of the people, 

255 because the Danaan heroes gave him very many things 3 ; 
and jeering haranguest. But I tell thee 4 , plainly, and 
that shall be accomplished too — If ever again I shall catch 
thee playing the fool as thou art here doing now, may his 

260 head rest no longer upon the shoulders of Ulysses, and 
may I no longer be called the father of Telemachus, if I do 
not seize thee 5 , and strip off thy clothes, thy cloak, and 
thy tunic, and what covers thy nakedness, and drive thy- 
self, weeping, to the swift ships, after beating thee with 
disgraceful blows, from the assembly." 

265 Thus he spake, and struck him with the sceptre upon 
the back and shoulders ; and he writhed, and many tears 
fell from him, and a bloody tumour rose upon his back, 
from the blow of the golden sceptre. And he sat down and 
trembled ; but, in pain and looking silly 6 , wiped away his 

270 tears. And the rest, although sullen 7 , laughed heartily at 
him ; and thus, looking to his neighbour, one said to 
another : 

" Oh, doubtless, myriads of good deeds has Ulysses 
done before, both in originating plans, and directing; 
but now this is far the best thing he has ever done among 
the Argives — stopped 8 this abusive slanderer's harangues. 

275 Surely his bold spirit 9 will not again for a long time urge 
him to insult kings with such scurrilous language." 

Thus spake the crowd ; and Ulysses, destroyer of cities, 
arose, holding the sceptre; and beside him blue-eyed 

1 i. e. we can only judge by the event — or, we know not all his motives ; 
and yet you revile the king, as if he was known to be indisputably wrong. 

2 r<£> — in this case — under these circumstances. 

3 Reward him liberally — honour him highly. 

4 «k epew — tell out, i. e. plainly. 

5 Seizing thee, strip off thy clothes, &c. 

6 Chop-fallen, abashed : — or coupling a%p£iov with daicpv — seeing his 
tears to be useless, he wiped them away. 

7 i. e. displeased with Agamemnon. 8 oq — who has stopped, &c. 
9 Ironically — for Qvfiog ayrjvwp are constantly used in a good sense. 



ILIAD II.— V. 280—307. 35 

Minerva, assuming the likeness of an herald, bade the 280 
people be silent, that both the first and the last ! sons of 
the Achaeans might together hear his speech, and under- 
stand the plan. He then prudently addressed them, and 
said : 

" Atrides, now would the Achaeans make thee, King, 
most contemptible in the eyes of all men 2 ; nor perform 285 
they the promise which they gave thee 3 , on coming hither 
from fertile 4 Argos, — that thou shouldst 5 return after de- 
stroying well-fortified Ilium. For, like young children, 
or widowed women, they are weeping with one another to 290 
go home again. To be sure it is a desirable thing 6 to go 
home again, when a man is wearied with long absence. 
For one who is absent from his wife, even for a single 
month, laments beside his many-benched ship, which 
wintry winds and a stormy sea detain ; whereas the ninth 295 
year is rolling over us, and we are still remaining here. 
Therefore I am not offended that the Achaeans lament 
beside their high-beaked ships ; still will it be disgraceful 
both to remain here so long, and to return empty 7 . Have 
patience, my friends, and stay yet awhile, that we may 300 
know whether Calchas prophesies with truth or not; for 
well, indeed, this we already know, and you are all wit- 
nesses, whom deadly 8 fate has not of late 9 carried off 10 , 
that, when the ships of the Achaeans were collected at 
Aulis, to bring evils upon Priam and the Trojans, and 305 
when we, around the fountain at the sacred altars, were 
offering perfect " hecatombs to the immortals, beneath a 

1 i. e. the nearest and most remote. 

2 iLtpo-Ktaai. See A. 250. 3 Which they undertook — stood under. 

4 Horse-feeding — with good pastures for horses. 

5 i. e. not return till thou hadst destroyed. 

6 H pr)v Kai 7rovoQ — it is worth any pains or labour. Ulysses allows long 
absence from home is a good reason for wishing to return. 

7 i. e. without effecting our purpose. 8 Krjpeg 2ra.va.Tov. 

9 x® l % a Tt Kai TTow&a — yesterday and the day before — proverbial for 
lately ; and alluding to the recent pestilence. 

10 tflav <ptpovo-ai — gone, taking with them. 

11 Full in number, or consummate in quality. 

d2 



36 ILIAD II.— V. 308—335. 

beautiful plane-tree, whence flowed limpid water, there a 
great prodigy was seen. A terrible serpent, spotted upon 
the back, one l which the Olympian himself had sent into 
light, springing from beneath the altar, rushed straight 

310 towards the plane-tree. And there were there young ones 
of a sparrow, a callow brood 2 , concealed among the leaves, 
on the highest branch, eight of them, and the mother 
who hatched the brood, made 3 the ninth. There he 
devoured them, shrieking piteously ; and the mother flut- 

315 tered about, mourning over her beloved young; and then 
twisting himself round, he seized her, screaming, by the 
wing. And when he had devoured the young sparrows 
and the mother herself, the God, who gave him to light 4 , 
made him an object of wonder ; for the son of wily Saturn 
made him a stone 5 ; and we, standing there, were amazed 

320 at what was done. Such mighty portents of the gods 
then befel 6 the hecatombs ; and then, on the spot, Cal- 
chas, interpreting the will of the God, said : £ Why are ye 
struck dumb, long-haired Achaeans? It is the all-wise 
Jove 7 who has sent this prodigy, distant, and late of ac- 

325 complishment 8 , but the glory of which shall never perish. 
As this serpent has devoured the young sparrows, and her- 
self — eight, and the mother which hatched the brood made 
the ninth ; so shall we for a like number of years wage 
war there (in Troy), and in the tenth we shall take the 

330 wide-streeted city/ In this manner did he harangue ; 
and all will now at last be now fulfilled. Come, then, 
well-armed Greeks, remain all of you here, until we cap- 
ture the great city of Priam." 

Thus he spake, and the Greeks shouted loud, and the 

335 ships around echoed fearfully, as the Greeks shouted — 



1 tov pa. 2 vr)iria rsKva. 3 Was. * Who showed him. 

5 i. e. changed him into a stone. 

6 Literally, enter into — i. e. occurred at the time. 

7 [itya [xt]risra Zsvc. 

8 Ttpag o-tyipov, &c. — a token indicative of the event of the expedition, 
which, though remote, it promised, would be glorious. 



ILIAD II.— V. 336— 3(31. 37 

applauding the speech of divine Ulysses. Then Nestor, 
the Gerenian ' chief 2 also addressed them: 

" Oh, surely now like young children, to whom the 
works of war are no concern, are ye talking. What will 
become of our promises and oaths 3 ? In the fire 4 will they 3 jq 
be — the plans and counsels of men, and the libations of 
undiluted wine, and the right hands 5 in which we trusted ? 
To no purpose 6 do we thus debate ; we can discover no 
expedient 7 , although we have been here so long 8 . But do 
thou still, son of Atreus, as before, maintaining thy plan 
unshaken, lead forth the Argives to hard battles ; and leave 345 
them to rot, the one or two, who are planning, apart from 
the body of Achaean s — but there will be no fulfilment of 
their plans — to return to Argos, before we know whether 
the promise of aegis-bearing Jove be false or not 9 . For I 
affirm, that the almighty son of Saturn did promise 10 on 350 
that day, when the Argives embarked in their swift " ships, 
bearing death and destruction to the Trojans — by light- 
ning upon the right, — showing propitious signs. Let 
none, therefore, hasten to return home, before each have 355 
slept with a Trojan wife 12 , and avenged the seizure and 
sorrows of Helen. And if any one long so ardently to 
return home, let him lay hold of his black ship, well-sup- 
plied with benches, that he may meet with death and his 
fate 13 before the rest of us. But deliberate well thyself, O 360 
king, and be persuaded by another — not to be despised 

1 Yeprjviog — from Gerena, in Messenia, where he is said to have taken 
refuge, when Hercules sacked Pylos. 

2 imrora — one who fought in cars — indicative of high-birth, or station. 

3 Literally — where shall your agreements and oaths go ? 

4 i. e. burnt with the victims, which were sacrificed to procure the sanction 
of the gods — sarcastically. 

5 Symbols of fidelity and adherence.. 6 Dispute with words. 

7 i. e. for terminating the war. 

8 Though being here so long — perhaps, here in the assembly. 

9 Before we know of segis-bearing Jove, whether his promise be a false- 
hood or not. 

10 Nodded. n Quick-going. 12 A wife of the Trojans. 
13 That he raav overtake death and fate before others. 



38 ILIAD II.— V. 362—389. 

will be the word which I now speak \ Divide the troops, 
Agamemnon, into companies and squadrons, that squadron 
may support squadron, and company support company. 

365 For if thou wilt do thus, and the Achaeans obey, then wilt 
thou know which of the leaders, and which of the soldiers 
is a coward, and which of them is brave ; for they will fight 
by themselves. And then wilt thou learn, also if it be by 
divine interposition thou sackest not the city, or by the 
cowardice of men, and their unskilfulness in war." 

And the king, Agamemnon, answered him, and said : 

370 " Again, truly, old man, dost thou excel the sons of the 
Achaeans in council. Oh ! father Jove, Minerva, and 
Apollo, would that there were to me of the Achaeans ten 
such counsellors 2 . Then would the city of Priam quickly 
fall to the earth, captured by our hands, and destroyed. 

375 But aegis-bearing Jove, the son of Saturn, has sent 
troubles on me, who casts me upon idle quarrels and 
contentions. For I and Achilles have contended with 
hostile words about a girl, and I was the first to grow 
angry 3 . But if ever we be reconciled 4 , then shall the 

380 Trojans not have respite from evil ; no, not a moment. 
Now then go to breakfast, that we may begin the battle. 
Let each man sharpen well his spear, and make ready his 
shield 5 . Let him give a good feed to his swift-footed 
horses, and, examining his car on all sides, prepare for 

385 war ; for we shall contend all day in fearful battle. And 
there shall be no cessation, not even a moment, till night 
coming on separate the ardour of men 6 . The strap of each 
man's protecting shield shall sweat on his breast, and his 
hand shall be weary with the spear 7 ; and each man's horse 

1 i. e. The advice I give. 

2 Literally — fellow-counsellors — men who consult with me. 

3 i. e. I began the quarrel. 

4 eg [iiav, scil. (3ov\rjv — have but one opinion. 
6 i. e. clean it, &c. 

6 i. e. ends the battle. 

7 The thong of the man-protecting shield of each shall sweat upon his 
breast, and he shall be wearied as to his hand round the sword. 



ILIAD II.— V. 390—416. 39 

shall sweat with dragging the good ' ear. And whomsoever 390 
I shall observe wishing to idle at the high-beaked ships, he 
will not 2 be able afterwards to escape the dogs and birds." 

Thus he spake ; and the Argives shouted loud, as a wave 
upon a steep shore, when the south-wind, coming, shall 395 
dash it against a projecting rock, which the billows never 
quit, whatever winds blow 3 , — when they are here or there. 
And getting up, they rushed from the assembly, dispers- 
ing, to the ships; and they lighted fires at their tents, 
and took their meal. And each sacrificed to some one of 400 
the immortal Gods 4 , praying that he might escape death, 
and the conflict of Mars \ And king Agamemnon offered 
up a fat ox, a five-year old, to the almighty son of Saturn ; 
and invited the elder chiefs 6 of all the Achaeans. Nestor 405 
first and king Idomeneus, next the two Ajaxes, and the 
son of Tydeus, and sixth, Ulysses, equal in counsel to 
Jove. And the gallant 7 Menalaus came of his own accord, 
for he well knew his brother w r as very busy 8 . Then they 41 
stood round the ox, and lifted the salt and meal, and Aga- 
memnon praying, in the midst of them, said : 

" Jove, most glorious, most great, enshrouded in dark 
clouds, and dwelling in the air, let not the sun set, nor 
darkness come upon the earth, before I cast headlong the 
palace of Priam burning, and consume its gates with hostile 415 
fire ; and cleave Hectors coat of mail upon his breast, 



1 Well-built, or smoothed and planed — workmanlike. 

2 ovk apKiov — lie will not be able — there will be no means of escaping. 

3 Winds of all kinds — blowing from every quarter. 

4 And one sacrificed to one of the everlasting Gods, and another to another. 

5 i. e. the peril of battle. 

ytpovrag apiarrjag — the princes — those, apparently, who had been of 
the council (line 53). 

7 Literally — good in the shout, — or the battle. 

8 For he knew hi his mind his brother, how much he was engaged — i. e. in 
preparing the sacrifice ; and therefore did not wait for the formality of 
an invitation. Or rather, perhaps — he knew how anxious he was — with 
a reference to Agamemnon's difficult position, implying great delicacy of 
feeling. 



40 ILIAD II.— V. 417—445. 

pierced with my sword ; and O, may many of his comrades 
round him, prone in the dust, bite the dust l ," 

Thus he spake; and the son of Saturn did not at all assent 

420 to his prayer 2 ; but he accepted the offering, and mightily 
increased the toil. And when they had prayed, and cast 
the salt and barley, they drew back first the head of the 
victim, and cut its throat, and skinned it. Next they cut 
off the hind-legs, and covered them with the fat, making it 

425 double, and placed morsels of flesh upon them 3 . And these 
they then burnt with cleft wood without leaves *. Then 
taking up the viscera with the forks 5 , they held them over 
the fire. And when the legs were quite burnt, they tasted 
the viscera; and then they divided the rest into small 
pieces, and pierced them with spits, and dressed them 

430 carefully, and drew them all off again. Then when they 
had accomplished their labour, and prepared the feast, they 
ate, nor were their appetites without a full feast. And 
when they had removed the desire of eating and drinking, 
Nestor, the Gerenian chief, began to address them : 

(i Most noble son of Atreus, king of men, Agamemnon, 

435 no longer now let us loiter here, nor longer put off the 
work, which God will forthwith put into our hands. 
But come, let the heralds of the brazen-mailed Achaeans, 
summoning them, assemble the people at the ships ; and 
we will ourselves together go through the wide army of 

440 the Achaeans, that we may the quicker rouse the keen 
fight 6 ." 

Thus he spake, nor did the king of men, Agamemnon, 
decline 7 . Immediately he ordered the loud-tongued 
heralds to summon the long-haired Achaeans to battle. 
These gave the summons, and the people speedily assem- 

445 bled; and the heaven-protected kings, along with Atrides 8 , 

1 o5a% — seize the earth with the teeth. 2 i. e. to take Troy that day. 

3 Compare A. 466, &c. 4 i. e. Dry sticks. 

5 afnrtipavTsg. See A. 463. 

6 Awake — rouse up sharp Mars — sharp, from the weapons of war. 

7 Nor was disobedient. 8 oi afxcpi, &c. I. e. Atrides and the kings. 



ILIAD II.— V. 446—476. 41 

hastened to arrange them. And blne-eycd Minerva was 
among them, holding the precious ^Egis, which was ex- 
empt from age and death 1 . A hundred golden fringes 
hung round it, all well-wreathed, and each of the value of 
an hecatomb. With this she — flashing in every direction 450 
— stirred up the Achaeans, urging them to advance ; and in 
the heart of each she infused courage to war and fight in- 
domitably. And in them, instantly, fighting 2 became more 
agreeable to them than returning, in their hollow ships, 
to their loved native land. 

As a raging fire consumes a huge forest upon the sum- 455 
mits of a mountain, and the flame is seen from afar ; so, as 
they advanced, the glittering splendour of their beautiful 
armour ascended through the air to heaven. 

And of these — as many flocks of flying birds, geese, or 460 
cranes, or long-necked swans, in Asiatic meadows, on the 
streams of Caystros, fly from all quarters 3 , flapping with 
their wings, while alighting 4 , with screams the meadow 
rings ; so of the Achaeans did many nations, from the 
ships and tents, rush 5 into the plain of Scamander. And 465 
the earth echoed fearfully under the feet of themselves and 
their horses ; and upon the flowery vale of Scamander, stood 
myriads, numerous as are flowers and leaves in spring. 

As many as are the swarms of crowding flies, which 
hover round the shepherd's fold in the season of spring, 470 
and when the milk-pails are full of milk; so numerous 
stood the long-haired Achaeans upon the plain against the 
Trojans, eager to destroy them. 

And these, — as goatherds easily separate large flocks of 
goats, when they have mixed in the pasture, so did the 475 
commanders every where arrange 6 them to march to bat- 

1 Not subject to old age, and immortal. — i. e. imperishable. 

2 7ro\efioQ. 3 ev6a /cat tvBa. 

4 Alighting — rushing forward, or rather downward, to alight. 
Were poured, — or poured themselves. 

tuiKodfitov tvOa kcu cvOa — drew up, some here, some there — in order, 
or battle array. 



42 ILIAD II.— V. 477—508. 

tie ; and in the midst stood king Agamemnon, in eye and 
head like thundering Jove, with a belt x like Mars, and a 
breast like Neptune. 

480 As the bull in a herd is most conspicuous of all 2 , for he 
surpasses the collected cattle ; such on that day did Jove 
make Agamemnon, distinguished and conspicuous among 
many heroes : 

Tell me now, ye Muses, who dwell in mansions of 

485 Olympus, (for ye are goddesses, are ever present, and 
know all; whilst we hear rumours only, and know-nothing 
with certainty,) who were the leaders and chiefs of the 
Danaans. For I could not describe nor name the mass, 

490 not if I had 3 ten tongues, ten mouths, a voice indomit- 
able 4 , and a brazen heart within me ; did not the Olympic 
Muses, daughters of aegis-bearing Jove, remind me of as 
many as 5 came to Ilium. Therefore I will now rehearse 
the commanders of the ships, and all the vessels. 

Peneleus and Le'itus, Arcesilaus, Prothoenor and Clonius, 

495 commanded the Bceotians ; and those who dwelt at Hyria, 
and the rocky Aulis, and Schoenus, and Scolus, and the 
hilly Eteon, Thespeia, and Graea, and the spacious Myca- 
lessus; and those who inhabited Harma 6 , Ilesium, and 

500 Erythrae ; and those who possessed Eleon, and Hyla, and 
Peteon, Ocalea, and Medion, a well-built town, Copae, and 
Eutresis, and Thisbe, abounding in doves ; and those who 
held Coroneia, and grassy Haliartus 7 , and those who oc- 
cupied Plataea, and those who lived in Glissas, and those 

505 who held Hypothebae, a well-built town ; and Onchestus, 
a beautiful grove, sacred to Neptune 8 . Those likewise 
who possessed Arne, abounding in vines, and Mideia, and 
glorious Nissa, and the farthest 9 Anthedon. Belonging 

1 i. e. what the belt encircled — the frame — or its strength and vigour. 

2 i. e. of all the cattle in that herd. 3 Lit. — were to me. 

4 Not to be broken — that would never fail, or become hoarse. 5 All. 

6 Those who live about Harma — i. e. Harma and its neighbourhood. 

7 i. e. with good or abundant pastures. 

8 Sacred spot, Neptunian, a beautiful grove — sell. re/jLevog. Compare 1. 696. 

9 i. e. at the extremity of the territory of the Boeotians. 



ILIAD II.— V. 510—537. 43 

to these went fifty ships, and in each embarked one hun- 510 
dred and twenty Boeotian youths. 

And those who inhabited Aspledon, and the Minyeian 
Orchomcnus, Ascalapus and Ialmenus commanded, sons 
of Mars, whom Astyoche bare in the mansion of Actor, son 515 
of Azeus, — once a chaste maiden 1 — entering the women's 
apartments 2 , bore to brave Mars; for he had by stealth slept 
with her. Of these, thirty hollow ships went in their ranks. 

And Schedius and Epistrophus, sons of Iphitus, the 
brave son of Nauboles, commanded the Phoceans — those 
who possessed Cyparissus, and rocky Python, and beautiful 
Crissa, and Daulis, and Panopeus, and those who inhabited 520 
the country round Anemoreia and Hyampolis ; and those 
who dwelt by the noble river of Cephissus, and who pos- 
sessed Lilaea, at the source of the Cephissus. With these 
came 3 forty black ships. These (Schedius and Epistrophus), 
commanding, drew up the ranks of Phoceans, and placed 525 
them * next to the Boeotians, upon the left. 

And swift Ajax, son of Oileus, commanded the Locrians. 
He was a smaller man, not so large as the Telamonian Ajax, 
but much less. Little he was, with a corslet of linen ; but 530 
in the use of the spear he excelled all the Hellenes and 
Achaeans 3 . He commanded those who inhabited Cynus, and 
Opoeis, and Calharum, and Bessa, and Scarpha, and plea- 
sant Augeiae, and Tarpha, and Thronium, on the streams 
of Boagrius. And with him came thirty black ships of the 
Locrians, who dwell beyond sacred Eubcea 6 . 535 

And the brave 7 Ab antes, who possessed Eubcea, and 
Chalcis, and Eretria, and Histiaea, abundant in vines, and 

1 A chaste maiden — that is, before her connexion with Mars. 

2 Ascending to the upper rooms — i. e. at her father's in the apartments 
allotted to the females of the family. 

3 Followed. * Armed. 

5 i. e. all the army — which consisted of Hellenes (from Thessaly), Achaeans 
and Argives. 

6 Which seems to indicate that the poet lived to the eastward of Euhoea ; 
i. e. somewhere in the isles, or on the Asiatic coast. 

7 Li*. — Breathing strength. 

12 



44 ILIAD II. — V. 538-564. 

Cerinthus, on the sea-coast, and the hill-town of Dios, and 
those who possessed Carystus, and those who inhabited 

540 Styra — these next Elephenor led, branch of Mars *, the 
son of Chalcodon, the chief of the brave Abantes. With 
him came the active Abantes, with their hair hanging down 
upon their backs '% warriors 3 trained with ashen spears, to 
break the corslets of the enemy on their breasts ; and forty 

545 black ships accompanied him. 

And next those who inhabited Athens, a well-built town, 
the people of the great Erechtheus, whom of old Minerva, 
daughter of Jove, brought up, (but the bountiful Earth pro- 
duced him,) and placed him also at Athens, in her own rich 

550 temple — there 4 the Athenian youth, as the years revolve 5 , 
propitiate him with bulls and rams — These (i, e. the Athe- 
nians) next, Menestheus, son of Peteus, led. No mortal 6 man 
ever equalled him in the arraying of war-cars 7 and armed 

555 men 8 . Nestor alone could contend with him — for he was 
older 9 . And fifty black ships accompanied him. 

And Ajax brought from Salamis twelve ships, and he 
led, and placed them 10 , where stood the lines of the Athe- 
nians. 

And those who possessed Argos, and the walled-town 

560 °f Tiryns, Hermione, and Asine, which stand within a deep 
bay 11 ; Trcezen, and Eionae, and Epidaurus, abounding in 
vines ; and the Achaean youth, who occupied iEgina and 
Mases — these, next, brave 12 Diomedes commanded, and 
Sthenelus, the beloved son of illustrious Capaneus. And 

1 i. e. of the stock of Mars — a descendant. 

2 Hairy behind — with hair on the back of the head only — contrasted with 
the rest of the Achaeans. 3 Spearmen. 

4 As was the case with other heroes — Palamon, for instance, in Neptune's 
temple at Corinth. 

5 i. e. once a year — at the end of every year. 

6 To him never was a man of those upon earth equal to arrange. 

7 'nnrovg — there were no cavalry, in the modern sense. 

8 Men with shields — the infantry. 

9 And so, i. e. of more experience. l0 And leading, he posted them. 

11 Having a deep bay, i. e. in the Sinus Argolieus. 

12 j3ot]v ayaOog — good at the shout, or battle. 



ILIAD II.— V. r.05—594. 45 

with thorn, a third in command, went Euryalus, a godlike 505 
man, a son of Mecisteus, and grandson of king Talaus. 
But the warrior Diomedes commanded the whole ', and 
with him came eighty black ships. 

And those who possessed Mycex.e, a well-built town, 
and wealthy Corinth, and well-built Cleonae ; and those 570 
who inhabited Orneiae, and pleasant Araethrca and Sicyon, 
the place 2 where Adrastus first reigned ; and those who 
occupied Hyperesia, and lofty Gonoessa, and Pellena ; and 
those who d\\ elt round ^Egium, and along all the coast 3 , 
and by the broad Helice 4 — these, in a hundred ships, 575 
King Agamemnon, the son of Atreus, commanded. With 
him indeed came far the most numerous and the best 
troops ; and he buckled on his shining mail, exulting that 
he surpassed all the heroes ; for he was the mightiest, and 580 
led the most numerous forces. 

And those who possessed the vast vale 5 of Laced^mon, 
and those who inhabited Phare, and Sparta, and Messa, 
abounding with doves, and Bryseiae, and the delightful 
Augeiae ; and those also who held Amyclae, and Helos, a 
town on the coast; and those who possessed Laas, and 585 
dwelt round CEtylus — these his brother, the brave Mene- 
laus, commanded, with sixty ships; but they were kept 
apart from Agamemnon's . And he himself went con- 
fiding in his own energies 7 , urging them to war ; for he 
was especially eager to avenge the seizure and the sorrows 590 
of Helen. 

And those who inhabited Pylus, and those who dwelt 
in the pleasant Arene, and Thryus, a ford 8 of the Alphaeus, 
and well-built iEpy, and Cyparisseeis, and Amphigeneia, 
and Ptelius, and Helos, and Dorion — where the Muses 

1 i. e. he was commander-in-chief of the Argites, specifically so styled. 

2 60' apa. 3 i. e. the coast of Achaia. 

4 A river, apparently. 

5 The vast hollow Lacedsemon. KijTojefjffav — from ktjtoq, which seems to 
indicate whatever is of great magnitude. c Armed, or equipped, apart. 

7 i.e. ardent, and full of confidence. 

8 Where the river was fordable — or where a regular ferry was established- 



46 ILIAD II.— V. 595— C22. 

595 meeting Thamyris, the Thracian, as he came from (Echalia, 
and from Eury tus, the (Echalian l , silenced his singing 2 ; 
for he had; boasting, affirmed, that if the Muses them- 
selves, the daughters of aegis-bearing Jove, should sing 
against him, he would excel them: and they, indignant, 
made him blind, and deprived him of his divine power of 

600 song 3 , and made him forget the use of the lyre — these 
next, Nestor, the Gerenian chief, commanded, and ninety 
hollow ships went in their lines with him. 

And those who occupied Arcadia, at the foot of the 
lofty mountain of Cyllene, beside the tomb of iEpytus, 
where the men fight hand to hand 4 ; and those who dwelt 

605 at Pheneus and occupied Orchomenus, abundant in flocks, 
and Rhipe, and Stratia, and windy 5 Enispe, and Tegea, 
and those who possessed pleasant Mantinea, and Stym- 
phelus, and lived in Parrhasia — these king Agapenor^ the 

610 son of Ancaeus, commanded., with sixty ships ; and in each 
vessel went many Arcadian men, skilful in war. Agamem- 
non, the son of Atreus, king of men, had himself supplied 
them with ships, well fitted with benches, that they might 
cross the dark 6 sea ; for they themselves paid no attention 
to sea matters 7 . 

615 Next were those who inhabited Buprasium and noble 
Elis, as much as Hyrmma and distant 8 Myrsinus, and the 
Olenian rock, and Alisium, comprise within them. Of these 
there were four commanders ; and ten swift ships followed 
each man, and many Epeians were on board 9 . The first 

620 and second divisions Amphimachus and Thalpius led, the 
one 10 the son of Cteatus, and the other of Eurytus, son of 
Actor; brave Diores, the son of Amarynceus, led the 

1 Or son of QEchaleus. 2 Caused his singing to cease. 

3 Took away his divine song. 

4 Equivalent to a<T7ridio)rai — i. e. men who fought with shield and spear — 
not archers. 

5 i. e. exposed to the winds — high. 

6 Of the appearance, or colour of wine. 

7 For maritime affairs were not a care to them. 8 On the confines. 
i. e. of each vessel. io Sons, the one of. 



ILIAD II.— V. C23— C50. 47 

third ; and the fourth division godlike Polyxenus, son of 
Agasthenes, and grandson of king Augeias, commanded. 

And those from Dulichium, and the sacred islands, the 625 
Echlnae, which are situated 1 across the sea, opposite to 
Elis — these next Meges, the son of Phyleus, equal to 
Mars, commanded; whose father 2 , beloved of Jove, was 
the noble 3 Phyleus, who had migrated to Dulichium, being 
angry with his father ; and forty black ships accompanied 630 
him. 

And Ulysses led the brave Cephalleneans — those 
who possessed Ithaca, and Neritus, full of woods 4 , and 
those who inhabited Crocyleia, and rugged iEgilips, and 
those who held Zacynthus ; and those who dwelt at Samos ; 
and those who occupied Epeirus, and dwelt upon the op- 635 
posite shores. These Ulysses, equal to Jove in counsel, 
commanded, and with him came twelve ships, with their 
prows painted red. 

And Thoas, a son of Andrasmon, commanded the ^Eto- 
lians — those who inhabited Pleuro, and Olenos, and 
Pylene, and Chalcis, on the sea coast, and rocky Calydon. 
For the sons of brave (Eneus no longer survived, nor was 640 
he himself still alive, and the handsome 5 Meleager was 
dead. To him (Thoas), therefore, full powers were given 6 
to command the ^Etolians ; and with him came forty black 
ships. 

And the famous 7 Idomeneus led the Cretans — those 645 
who possessed Cnossus, and Gortys, girt with walls, 
Lyctus, and Miletus, and white 8 Lycastus, and Phsestus, 
and Rhytius, well-peopled cities, and others who dwelt 
in Crete, an island of an hundred cities. These then the 
famous Idomeneus commanded, and Meriones, equal to 650 

1 vaiovoi. 2 Whom Phyleus begot. 

3 iinrora. 4 Neritus, where leaves are shaken. 

5 Yellow ; i. e. as to his hair — unless a sun-burnt complexion is indicated. 

6 To him, therefore, was it in all things entrusted. 

7 Distinguished in the use of the spear — an epithet applied to the most 
eminent men of the army. 

8 From the chalk — built on chalk-hills. 



48 ILIAD II.— V. 651—680. 

man-slaying Mars. And with them came eighty black 
ships. 

And Tlepolemus, the son of Hercules, handsome and 
tall \ led from Rhodes nine ships with bold Rhodians — ■ 

655 those who inhabited Rhodes, settled in three districts, 
at Lindus, Ielyssus, and white Cameirus. Their leader 
was the famous Tlepolemus, the son of mighty Hercules 2 
by Astyocheia, whom he brought from Ephyre, from the 
river Selleeis, after having laid waste many towns of noble 

660 chiefs. But Tlepolemus, after he had grown up in the 
well-built house, very soon 3 killed the loved uncle of his 
mother, the aged Lycimnius, a branch of Mars. In haste 
he built ships, and having collected a large force, fled 4 

665 across the sea; for the other sons and grandsons of the 
mighty Hercules threatened him. And he came to 
Rhodes, after roaming long, and suffering hardships. And 
they fi. e. Tlepolemus and his people) were placed in 

670 three divisions 5 , and were beloved by Jove, who governs 
gods and men ; and the son of Saturn poured much 
wealth upon them 6 . 

And next Nireus led from Syma three good 7 ships — 
Nireus, the son of Aglaia, and of king Charops — Nireus, 
who was the handsomest man of all the Danaans who 

675 came to Ilium, next to the noble Achilles. But he was 
feeble 8 , and a small force followed him. 

And next were those who possessed Nisyrus, and Cra- 
pathus, and Casus, and Cos, a town belonging to Eurypy- 
lus, and the Calydnean Isles. These then Phidippus and 
Antiphus commanded, two sons of king Thessalus, the 

680 son of Hercules ; and thirty hollow ships of theirs went 
with the fleet 9 . 

1 t]vq re i^syag re. 2 To Herculean might — Hercules himself. 

3 i. e. in his first manhood — killed by accident. 

4 He went fleeing over the sea. 5 Triply — in tribes, or castes. 

6 Divine wealth, i. e. as usual, great. 

7 iiaag — on both quarters — symmetrically, or well built. 

s aXcnraSvog — referring rather to political than personal deficiency. 
Went in order, or in the line. 



ILIAD II.— V. 68I—710. 49 

Now, as to all ' who dwelt in Pelasgic Argos, and 
those who inhabited Alus, and Alope, and Trechis, and 
those who occupied Phthia and Hellas, famed for beautiful 
women, and who were called Myrmidons, and Hellenes, 
and Achaeans ; of these, in fifty ships, Achilles was the 685 
commander. But these took no heed of dire-sounding 
war ; for there was no one to lead them to the ranks ; for 
swift-footed Achilles lay at his ships, indignant on account 
of the young fair-haired Briseis, whom he had chosen out 
of Lyrnessus 2 , after having endured many toils, and laid 690 
waste Lyrnessus, and the walls of Thebe. Then likewise 
he smote Mynes and Epistrophus, the warriors, sons of 
king Euenus, the son of king Selepias. For her sake he 
lay sighing 3 , but was soon to rise again. 

And those who possessed Phylace, and flowery Pyr- 695 
rhasus, a region sacred to Ceres 4 , and Iton, mother 5 of 
flocks, and Antron, on the sea coast, and grassy Pteleus ; 
these the warlike Protesilaus commanded while he lived ; 700 
but now the dark earth contained him 6 . And his afflicted 7 
spouse had been left at Phylace, and his mansion half- 
finished ; for a Dardan slew him, as, first of the Achaeans, 
he was leaping from his ship 8 . But, though they mourned 
for their chief, they were not without a commander ; for 
Podarces, a branch of Mars, commanded them, the son of 
Iphiclus, son of Phylacus, rich in flocks, own brother of 705 
brave Protesilaus, but younger by birth. The warlike hero 
Protesilaus was both older and more valiant ; yet the 
people were in no want of a leader, though they regretted 
the loss of him who was brave. With him then came forty 710 
black ships. 

1 ~Svv av tovq, 6<tctoi, &c. 

a i. e. whom he had received as his share of the spoils of Lyrnessus. 

3 i. e. sullen and brooding revenge. 

4 Aijfir]Tpog Ttfievog. Compare 506. 5 i. e. with good pastures. 

6 Held him under. 

7 Her cheeks both torn — through grief. 

8 A Dardan man slew him, leaping from his ship, far the first of the 
Greeks. 



50 ILIAD II.— V. 711—741. 

And those who dwelt at Pherj;, by the Bcebean lake, 
at Bebe, and Glaphyre, and well-built Iaolchus — these, in 
eleven ships, Eumelus, the loved son of Admetus, com- 

715 manded, whom Alcestis, lovehest of women 1 , fairest 2 of 
the daughters of Peleus, bore to Admetus. 
' Next were those who inhabited Methone andThauma- 
cia, and possessed Meliboea, and rugged Olizon — these, in 
seven ships, Philoctetes, skilful 3 in the bow commanded ; 
and fifty rowers embarked in each, skilled in the bow so as 

720 nien trained to fight bravely. But he lay, suffering great 
pain, in the beautiful island of Lemnos, where the sons of 
the Achaeans had left him, afflicted with a bad ulcer, from 
the bite of a deadly snake. There he lay in pain, but the 
Argives, at the ships of king Philoctetes, were soon to 

725 remember him. Neither were his people without a leader, 
although they regretted 4 their chief; for Medon, a bastard 
son of Oileus, commanded them — he whom Rhene bore 
to Oileus, destroyer of cities. 

And those who possessed Tricca, and mountainous 

730 Ithome, and those who held CEchalia, the city of Eurytus, 

the CEchalian 5 — these, next, two sons of JEsculapius, 

skilful surgeons, Podaleirius and Machaon commanded; 

and with them went thirty hollow ships in the fleet 6 . 

And those who occupied Ormenium, and the fountain 

735 Hypereia, and those who possessed Asterium and the 
white summits of Titanos — these Eurypylus, the noble son 
of Evaemon, commanded ; and with him came forty black 
ships. 

And those who held Argissa, and inhabited Gyrtone, 

Orthe, and Eldne, and the white town of Oloosson — these, 

740 next, the brave 7 Polypcetes led, the son of Pirithoiis, whose 

father was immortal Jove — he whom the illustrious Hippo- 



1 Sia yvvaiKiov. 2 uSog apiarr]. 

3 Bows — pi. i. e. bows and arrows. 

4 i. e. his absence. 5 Or, a son of (Echalius, line 596. 

6 In lines — or in the line. 

7 [xev£7rTo\efioQ — stout or stalwart, capable of sustaining the heat of battle. 



ILIAD II.— V. 742—773. 51 

dameia bore to Pirithoiis on that day, in which he took 
revenge on the shaggy centaurs ; for x he expelled them 
from Pelion, and drove them to yEthicae. He (Polypcetes) 
was not the sole commander, for with him was Leonteus, a 745 
branch of Mars, the son of the noble Coronus, son of 
Caenens ; and with them came forty black ships. 

And Guneus led two-and-twenty ships from Cyphus ; 
and with him came the Enienes, and the brave 2 Peraebi ; 
those who had fixed their abodes around cold Dodone, and 750 
those who cultivated the fields on both sides of the agree- 
able Titaresius, which pours its fair-flowing waters into the 
Peneius. Yet it mixes not with the silver waves of 
Peneius, but flows a-top of it, like oil ; for it is a branch 755 
of the Stygean water, the awful oath. 

And Prothous, son of Tenthredon, commanded the 
Magnates, — those who dwelt by the banks of Peneius, 
and the dense forests 3 of Pelion. These the swift Prothoiis, 
led, and with him came forty black ships. 

These then were the leaders and chiefs of the Danaans. 760 
But tell me, O muse, which of these was the best, both of 
warriors 4 and of horses, who accompanied the sons of 
Atreus ? By far the best steeds were the mares of Phere- 
tiades, which Eumelus drove, fleet — like birds — of the 755 
same colour, the same age, and the same height 5 . Apollo, 
of the silver bow, bred them in Pieria, both mares, and fit 
for the battle-field 6 . But of the warriors, Telamonian 
Ajax was by far the mightiest, as long as Achilles was in 
anger; for he (Achilles) was the most valiant, and the 
horses which bore the glorious son of Peleus were the best. 770 
But he lay in his curved sea-crossing ships, enraged 
against the son of Atreus, Agamemnon, shepherd of the 
people ; and his men, by the shore of the sea, amused 

1 Se supplying the place of yap — often. 

2 fievsTTToXefjiog — stout or stalwart, capable of sustaining the heat of battle. 

3 tivo<Ti<pvXkov — whose leaves, or forests, wave. 

4 Of themselves. 5 And equal at the back by the plumb-line. 
6 Bearing the terror of Mars — i. e. so as to make the enemy fly. 

E 2 



52 ILIAD II. — V. 774—800. 

themselves with hurling quoits, and javelins, and arrows ; 

775 and the horses stood each beside their cars, feeding upon 
lotus, and fen-parsley ■ ; and the cars, carefully covered, 
stood in the tents of their masters. And the men 
wandered about the army every where, regretting 2 the 
inactivity of their warlike chief, and joined not in the 
fight 3 . 

780 And then the troops advanced, as if the whole country was 
devoured with fire 4 , and the earth groaned beneath them, 
as when the thunderer Jove, enraged, struck the ground 
close to Typhoeus, at Arima, where, they say, is the bed of 
Typhoeus. Thus heavily, then, did the earth groan beneath 

785 their feet, as they marched 5 ; and they crossed, with great 
speed, the plain. 

And now to the Trojans came Iris, swift as the wind 6 , 
a messenger from aegis-bearing Jove, with the sad intelli- 
gence. And they were, young and old, all assembled, 

790 talking together, at the gates of Priam. Standing near 
them, the swift-footed Iris spoke ; and made her voice like 
that of Polltes, the son of Priam, who trusting to his speed, 
sat upon the highest point of aged Esyetes' tomb, as 
a sentinel for the Trojans, watching 7 when the Achaeans 

795 should advance from their ships. Taking his likeness upon 
her, swift-footed Iris said : 

(£ Endless words are ever agreeable to thee, old man, as if 
it were a time of peace ; though an inevitable battle is at 
hand 8 . Many a battle before 9 have I witnessed ; but 
such and so great an army I have never seen ; for, in 

800 numbers 10 like leaves or the sands, they advance across the 

1 What groAvs in fens. 

2 Longing for their chief — i. e. to lead them to battle. 

3 And did not fight. 

4 i. e. like a spreading fire — as rapid as fire spreads over fields of dry her- 
bage or corn. 

5 Of them marching. 6 Equal in her feet to wind. 
7 deyfievog — observing — on the look-out. 8 Or arises. 

9 Certainly before, very often, battles of men have I gone into. 

10 \ir)v. 



ILIAD II.— V. 801—825. 53 

plain, to fight round the city. Therefore, Hector, I en- 
join thee earnestly, and do thou thus act — for at Priam's 
great city there are many allies, and their languages 
differ 1 — let each man give orders to his own people, 
and let him lead them, taking the command 2 of his own 805 
townsmen. 

Thus she spake, and Hector did not disregard 3 the 
advice of the goddess, but forthwith broke up the assem- 
bly ; and they rushed to arms. Then all the gates were 
thrown open, and the people, horse and foot, rushed out, 810 
and a mighty tumult arose. 

In front of the city, on the plain, apart, there is a rising 
mound, accessible on all sides 4 , which men indeed call Ba- 
tieia, but the immortals, the tomb of the fleet Myrinna 5 . 
There the Trojans and their allies were marshalled 6 . 815 

The mighty 7 and impetuous 8 Hector, son of Priam, 
commanded the Trojans — with him, indeed, marched 9 
the most numerous and bravest troops, skilful with the 
spear. 

The Dardaxs next, ^Eneas, the handsome son of 
Anchises, commanded — he whom divine Venus bore to 820 
Anchises on the heights of Ida ; a goddess, who slept with 
a mortal. He was not the sole commander, for with him 
were two sons of Antenor, Archilochus and Acamas, both 
skilful in every fight 10 . 

And the Trojans who inhabited Zeleia, at the lowest 
foot of Ida, opulent men, who drink the dark waters of the 825 

1 Other is the language of other men — of many seeds — i. e. the language 
of one differs from that of another — of men of different nations. 

2 Arranging. 3 Was not ignorant of. 
4 That may be run round on this side and on that. 

3 An Amazon — allusive of her own speed or that of her horses. 

6 Divided. 7 fieyag — as to stature. 

8 KopvOaioXog — etymologically — a man whose helmet, i. e. the crest of it, 
is shaken, or in rapid motion ; and indicates the activity and energy of the 
wearer. The epithet is applied, among mortals, only to Hector. Mars, 
among the gods, has the same distinction. 

9 Were armed. 

10 i. e. in every mode of fighting. 



54 ILIAD II.— V. 826—853. 

^Esepus — these, next, Pandarus, the noble son of Lycaon, 
led, to whom Apollo himself had given a bow. 

And those who possessed Adrasta, and the district of 
Apaesus, and held Pyteia, and the lofty mountain of Tereia 
830 — them Adrastus commanded, and Amphius, whose corselet 
was of linen, the two sons of Percosian Merops, who was 
skilled above all l in the prophetic art, and had refused 2 
his consent to his sons to go to deadly war. But they 
would not be persuaded ; for their fate 3 led them on. 
835 Next those who inhabited Percote and Practium, and 
possessed Sestus, and Abydos, and beautiful Arisba — these 
Asius Hyrtacides, their chief, commanded — Asius Hyrta- 
cides, whom fiery 4 and mighty steeds brought from Arisba, 
from the river Selleeis. 
840 And Hippothoos led the bands of those Pelasgians, 
skilled in the use of the spear, who inhabited fertile 
Larissa. These Hippothoos commanded, and Pylaeus, a 
branch of Mars, the two sons of Lethus, the Pelasgian, son 
of Teutamis. 

Next Acamas, and the hero Peiroos, led all the Thra- 
845 cians 5 , whom the rapid 6 Hellespont encloses. 

And Euphenes, a son of Troezenus, son of Jove-sup- 
ported Ceas, was commander of the warlike Cicones. 

Next Pyraechmes led the P^eonians, armed with bent 
bows, from Amydon, far off, from the wide-flowing Axius 
850 — Axius, whose beautiful waters spread 7 the fairest upon 
the earth. 

And the bold heart of Pylaemenes led the Paphlago- 
nians, who were of the Eneti, (from whose country comes 
a breed of forest 8 mules) — those who possessed Cy torus, 

1 He knew above all. 2 Did not suffer. 

3 The fate of black death. 

4 Unless the word indicates the colour or appearance. 

5 Meaning those of the Thracian Chersonesus, of which the Hellespont 
forms the southern boundary. 

6 i. e. with a strong current. 

7 I. e. apparently long and broad. 

8 Or wild. 



ILIAD II.— V. 854—877. 55 

and dwelt at Sesamus, and inhabited noble mansions by 
the river Parthenius, and Cromna, and JEgialus, and the 855 
Erythine hills. 

Next Odius and Epistrophus led the Halizonians from 
Alvbe, far off, where is a silver mine l . 

And Chromis commanded the Mysians, and Ennomus, 
the augur. Yet he did not by his auguries escape black 
deaths but was drowned by the hands of the swift-footed 860 
^Eacides in the river, where indeed he (Achilles) slew also 
other Trojans. 

Next Phorcys led the Phrygians, along with the god- 
like Ascanius, from Ascania, far off; and they burned for 
the combat 2 . 

Next Mesthles and Antiphus, sons of Talaemenes, to 
whom the Gygaean lake gave birth 3 , commanded the 865 
Mceonians. These also led the Moeonians, who were 
natives 4 of Tmolus. 

Next Nastes commanded the Carians, of barbarous 
tongue — those who possessed Miletus, and the wooded 
hill of Phthirae, and the streams of Maeander, and the lofty 
summits of Mycale. These, then, Amphimachus and Nastes 
led — Nastes and Amphimachus, the noble sons of Nomion, 870 
who foolishly went to war, covered with gold 5 , like a girl. 
But it did not save him from cruel fate, for he was drowned 
in the river by the hands of the swift-footed Achilles ; and 
Achilles, skilled in war, plundered the gold. 875 

And Sarpedon and the good Glaucus led the Lycians 
from Lycia, far off, from the deep Xanthus 6 . 

1 Whence is the beginning or birth of silver. 

2 And they were eager to fight in battle. 

3 i. e. who were born and brought up on the shores of the Gygaean lake, 
near Sardis. * Born at the foot of Tmolus. 

5 Having gold — i. e. with gold chains and ornaments about him. 

6 With waves, implying a large body of water. 

END OF ILIAD II. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER 



BOOK III. 



ARGUMENT. 



The armies meet. Paris challenges the Grecian princes. Menelaus accepts 
the challenge. The terms of the combat are adjusted by Agamemnon on 
the part of Greece, and by Priam on that of Troy. The combat. Paris 
vanquished, but rescued by Venus. Agamemnon demands from the Tro- 
jans a performance of the contract. 

Now when the armies were marshalled, each along with 
their respective leaders, the Trojans advanced, with a cla- 
mour and a shout, like birds — as is the scream of cranes 
up through the sky — those which, when they fly from the 
5 winter and excessive rains, wing their way, with a scream, 
over the floods of Oceanus, carrying death and destruction 
to the Pigmies * : and these, early, bear onward dire strife 2 . 
But the Achaeans marched on in silence, breathing forth 
valour ; and resolute 3 to support each other. 
10 As the south wind spreads 4 a mist upon the brow of a 
mountain, by no means agreeable to the shepherd, but to 
the robber better than night, in which a man sees as far 
only as he can cast a stone; — so rose the troubled dust under 
their feet, as they advanced ; and they crossed the plain 
very rapidly. 

' Pygmaean men. 

2 i.e. Upon the pigmies — while the Trojans do so upon the Achaeans. 

3 £ v 9vfX(i> fjif[iau)Teg. 4 Poured down. 



ILIAD III.— V. 15—43. 57 

And when now they were close, coming upon one ano- 15 
ther, the godlike Alexander 1 advanced in front 2 of the 
Trojans, with the skin of a panther on his shoulders, and 
with a bent bow, and a sword. And, shaking two brazen- 
pointed 3 spears, he challenged all the bravest of the Argives 
to right him 4 front to front in deadly combat. 20 

And when Menelaus, beloved of Mars, perceived him 
advancing with long strides 5 before the army, he rejoiced 
like a lion who lights G upon a huge carcase, finding either 
a horned stag or a wild goat — hungry, for he greedily 25 
devours it, although sw r ift dogs and vigorous youths pur- 
sue him ; — thus rejoiced Menelaus when he beheld the god- 
like Alexander 7 , for he said he should now have his revenge 
on the offender; and immediately he leaped with his 
armour from his car to the ground. 

And when the godlike Alexander observed him appear- 30 
ing in the van, he was dismayed 8 , and retired back into 
the lines 9 of his comrades to avoid death 10 . And as when 
one seeing a serpent in the forests of a mountain, recoil- 
ing, starts back ; and a trembling seizes his limbs, and he 
retreats, and paleness overspreads his countenance " ; — thus 35 
godlike Alexander retired into the ranks of the bold Tro- 
jans, fearing the son of Atreus. 

And Hector, seeing this, reproved him with rough 12 
words : K Miserable 13 Paris, most fair in form u , women- 
mad, women-seducer 13 , would that thou hadst never been 40 
born, or had died unmarried. I should have preferred it, 
and it would have been much more advantageous, than 
that thou shouldst thus be a disgrace and scandal to others. 

I Paris. 2 irpofiaxi&v, was fighting in the van. 
3 Pointed with brass. 4 avri(3iov r 

5 Striding along. 6 Having lighted upon. 

7 When he saw with his eyes Alexander of the godlike form. 

8 He was dismayed in his loved, I. e. his own heart. 

tOvog eraipujv. 10 Avoiding death. 

I I Paleness has taken him on the cheeks. 

12 aiffxpoig — words calculated to shame him. 

13 SvowapiQ. 1! {. e. in form only. ' 5 A deceiver. 



58 ILIAD III.— V. 44—68. 

Well may the long-haired Achseans laugh, expecting thee 
to be a prime champion, because thy person was handsome 

45 — but there is no strength nor courage in thy heart. What, 
being such a coward, traversing the deep in sea-crossing l 
ships, with thy loved comrades 2 , and mingling with fo- 
reigners, didst thou carry off the fair woman from the 
Apian land, the relative 3 of warlike men — to be a great 

50 calamity to thy father, and the city, and the whole people, 
— a glory to the enemy, and a disgrace to thyself? Couldst 
thou not await the warlike Menelaus, and learn how brave 
is the man, whose blooming spouse thou hast ? The lyre 
would not avail thee, nor the gifts of Venus, thy hair, nor 

55 thy beauty, when thou wert mingled in the dust. The 
Trojans are indeed poor-spirited, or thou wouldst before 
this have worn a stone-coat 4 , on account of the evils thou 
hast wrought." 

Then the godlike Alexander in reply said : " Hector, I will 
not defend myself, for thou reprovest me as I deserve, and 

60 not unjustly. But judge not of me by thyself Thy heart 
is ever indomitable 5 , like an axe, which penetrates wood 
by the guidance of a man — by him who skilfully cuts 
down ship-timber 6 — and it aids the man*s strength. Such 
an invincible spirit hast thou in thy breast. Upbraid me 

65 not for the loved gifts of golden Venus. For by no means 
are the glorious gifts of the Gods to be rejected, which 
themselves bestow, and which none can assume at plea- 
sure 7 . But now, on the other hand, if thou desirest that 
I should fight 8 , make all the rest of the Trojans and the 



1 Meaning large and strong vessels, capable of sustaining distant 



voy- 



2 Collecting, or taking with thee, thy loved comrades. 

3 vvov — strictly, a son's wife ; hut more loosely, any female connected 
by marriage ; or, as here, probably one who had been sought in marriage 
by many. 

4 Been stoned to death. 

5 i. e. thy heart is one of iron. 

G Who by art cleaves naval timber — or shapes what is already cut down 
for ship-building. 7 skojv. 8 Fight and contend. 

12 



ILIAD III.— V. (39—94. 59 

Achseans sit down, and bring together myself and warlike 
Menelaus between the armies, that we may combat for 
Helen and all her wealth; and whichever may conquer and 70 
be victorious, let him by all means ' take the riches and 
the dame, and cany them home. And do you, the rest 
of you, striking peace and faithful compacts 2 , dwell in 
fertile Troy; and let them return to equestrian 3 Argos, 
and Achaeis, the land of beautiful women. 5 ' Thus he spake, 75 
and Hector was greatly delighted at hearing his speech. 
And advancing, therefore, between the armies, he checked 
the ranks of the Trojans, holding his spear by the middle ; 
and they all stood quiet. But the long-haired Achaeans 
were bending their bows at him, and taking aim, were 80 
hurling their arrows and stones ; and the king of men, 
Agamemnon, shouted aloud : 

i£ Stop, ye Argives ; hurl not, Achaean youth ; for brave 
Hector looks as if he wished to parley 4 ." 

Thus he spake, and they abstained from the fight, and 
immediately w r ere silent ; and Hector addressed both the 85 
armies : 

u Hear from me, Trojans, and well-armed Achaeans, the 
proposal of Alexander, on account of whom the war first 
began. He proposes, that all the other Trojans and 
Achaeans lay down their bright arms upon the fruitful 
earth, and that himself and warlike Menelaus, between 90 
the armies, should fight in single combat for Helen and 
all her wealth. And whichever conquers, and is victorious, 
let him by all means take the riches and the dame, and 
carry them home ; and let the rest of us strike an alliance 
and faithful compacts." 



1 Let him taking well all the riches — tv — well and good, as we say. 

2 Stinking an alliance, and faithful victims — op/eia, sell. Uptia — i. e. vic- 
tims which were struck, or sacrificed on such occasions, to secure the sanc- 
tion, or at least the evidence of the gods. The words here plainly express 
the covenants thus sanctioned hy oaths. 

3 Fit for feeding horses. 

* Is preparing, or proposing to speak a word. 



60 ILIAD III. — V. 95- 



121. 



95 Thus he spake, and all kept silence ' ; but the gallant 
Menelaus thus addressed them : 

" Now hear me also. Very painful is it to my feelings 2 , 
— but I trust that all will now be settled between the 

100 Achaeans and Trojans — that you have suffered many evils 
on account of my quarrel, and of Alexander the source of 
it. But for whichever of us death and fate be prepared, 
let him die ; and the rest of you settle your quarrel forth- 
with 3 . And now shall you, Trojans, bring two lambs, one 
a white male, and the other a black female, for the Earth 

105 and the Sun, and we will bring a male for Jove ; and you 
shall conduct hither mighty Priam 4 , that he may himself 
strike the compact 5 , (for his sons are reckless 6 and faith- 
less,) that none by transgression may violate the compact 
of Jove. For the minds of young men are ever fickle ; 

110 but where an old man is present, he looks at once to the 
past and the future, that the matter may be best for both 
parties 7 " 

Thus he spake ; and the Achaeans and Trojans rejoiced, 
hoping they should cease from toilsome war. And they 
accordingly drew back their cars to the ranks, and them- 
selves alighted, and threw off their armour, and laid it near 

115 each other on the ground; and there was a small space 
between them. 

And Hector sent two heralds to the city with all haste 
to bring the lambs, and to summon Priam ; and king Aga- 
memnon dispatched Talthybius to the hollow ships 8 , and 

120 ordered him to fetch a lamb ; and he did not disobey the 
noble Agamemnon. 

1 And all were mutely in silence. 

2 Very greatly comes pain to my feelings. 

3 Separate — i. e. make peace and go home. 

4 (3irjv Tlpia/xov — the force of Priam — i. e. Priam himself. 

5 Strike the victims, or take the oaths. 

6 Violators of oaths sworn over a libation. 

7 For, on what affairs an old man is present, he looks before and behind, 
that they (the affairs) may be best for both parties— i. e. it is best for both 
when an old man presides. 8 To go to the hollow ships. 



ILIAD III.— V. 122 — 151. 61 

In the mean time came Iris, a messenger, to the white- 
armed Helen, in the likeness 1 of her sister-in-law, the wife 
of Antenor' s son, Laodice, fairest 2 of the daughters of 
Priam, whom king 3 Helicaon, son of Antenor, possessed. 
And her she found in the palace; and she was weaving a 125 
large web, a double * and splendid one, and was working 5 
upon it the many toils of the Trojan chiefs and brazen- 
mailed Achaeans, which for her sake they had suffered at 
the hands of Mars. And standing near her, the swift- 
footed Iris said : 

" Come hither, dear girl, that thou mayst behold the 130 
strange deeds of the Trojan chiefs and brazen-mailed 
Achaeans — they who just now were bearing fearful war 
against each other on the plain, eager for destructive 
battle, now sit in silence, (for the war has ceased,) leaning 135 
upon their shields, and their long spears are stuck in the 
ground beside them. And Alexander and the warlike 
Menelaus are going to fight for thee with long spears, and 
thou art to be called the dear spouse of the conqueror 6 " 

Thus having spoken, the goddess infused into her soul 
a soft desire for her former husband, her city, and her 140 
parents ; and immediately wrapping herself in a white 
veil, she hastened from the chamber, shedding the tender 
tear ; not alone, for with her went two attendants, JEthre, 
the daughter of Pittheus, and large-eyed 7 Clymene. And 
soon they came where were the Scaean gates. And the 145 
elders of the people 8 , Priam, and Panthoiis, and Thymcetes, 
and Dampus, and Clytius, and Hicetaon, a branch of Mars, 
and Ucalegon and Antenor, both prudent men, were sitting 
at the Scaean gate — now on account of their age abstaining 150 
from war 9 . But they were still good talkers 10 , like grass- 

1 Making herself like to. 2 Best in appearance. 

3 Kpuujv — as if it was an honorary title — not implying sovereign authority. 

4 dnrXaica. — as if, perhaps, large enough to fold twice round the person. 
3 Interspersing— working in with a needle, probably. 

6 To the man who conquers. 7 (5o(U7rig. 

8 Atjuoytpovreg hi 149. 9 Or having done with war. 

10 So. employed in consulting on public affairs. 



62 ILIAD III.— V. 152—177. 

hoppers, which sitting upon a tree in a forest, send forth 
a sweet sound. Such were the chiefs of the Trojans who 
sat on the tower \ And when they beheld Helen approach- 

155 ing the tower, they quickly addressed winged words one to 
another : 

" No wonder 2 that the Trojans and well-armed Achaeans, 
for a long period, endure toils for such a woman. She re- 
sembles very much in countenance the immortal goddesses. 

160 But even thus, such though she be, let her return in the 
ships, and not be left a trouble to us and our sons 3 ." 

Thus then they spake ; and Priam called to Helen 4 : 
ce Come hither, my dear child, and sit by me, that thou 
mayst behold thy former husband, and relations, and 
friends ; for thou art not in fault — it is the gods who are 

2g5 to blame, who have sent upon me the lamentable war 
of the Achaeans. So tell me the name of that fine looking 
man, — who is that handsome and noble Achaean ? There 
are, to be sure, others taller by the head ; but never with 

170 these eyes have I seen so handsome and so majestic a man ; 
he looks like a king." 

And him Helen, loveliest of women, answered : cc Thou 
art to me, my dear father-in-law, an object of respect and 
reverence 5 . Would that dire death had been my choice 6 , 
when I accompanied thy son hither, leaving my bridal 

175 chamber, and my relations, and my only child 7 , and the 
sweet society of my friends 8 . But those things were not, 
and therefore I weep and pine 9 . But that which thou 

1 i. e. over the Sceean gates. 

2 Or rather, ground for censure — meaning, one cannot blame them. 

3 And our children after us. 

4 Called Helen with his voice. 

5 Thou art to be respected. 

6 Or, that ought to have been my choice — sc. rather than have done what 
I did, when, &c. 

7 Hermione — loved, or only, — i. e. judging by the application of the word, 
for its derivation is scarcely discoverable. 

8 Those of my own age. 

9 But these things were not done, — i. e. such was not my conduct, and 
therefore I am consumed weeping. 



ILIAD III.— V. 178—202. G3 

askest and requirest of me I will tell. That is the son of 
Atreus, the wide-ruling Agamemnon, a good king, and a 
gallant warrior, both. He was besides my brother-in-law, 
— shameless woman, that I am — if indeed he ever was l " 180 

Thus she spake ; and the old man admired him, and 
said : " O blessed son of Atreus, of happy birth, and noble 
destiny; numerous indeed are the Achaean youth under thy 
command. I once went to vine-bearing Phrygia, where I 
beheld numerous Phrygians, car-warriors, the armies of 
Otreus, and godlike Mygdon, which were then encamped 185 
upon the banks of the Sangarius ; and I was with them, 
one of their allies 2 , on that day, when the masculine 3 
Amazons came against them. But even they were not so 
numerous as the noble Achaeans V 5 190 

Next, observing Ulysses, the old man asked : " And 
that one, too, my dear child; come, tell me who is he? 
He is less, by the head, than Agamemnon, son of Atreus ; 
but is broader in the chest and shoulders 5 . His weapons 
he on the bountiful earth; but he himself, like a ram, 195 
ranges among the ranks of men. I compare him to a 
full-fleeced ram, which roams through a large flock of 
white sheep/ 5 

Then Helen, sprung from Jove, replied : " That, again, 
is the wise Ulysses, the son of Laertes, who was brought 
up in a district of Ithaca, a rocky isle, — a man ready at 200 
every stratagem, and every wise expedient/ 5 

And to her the prudent Antenor replied : " Lady, cer- 



1 « ttot £tjv ys — as if now she modestly doubted whether that could ever 
have been a fact. 

2 Drawn up, or arrayed with them. 

3 avTiaveipai — equal to men, in vigour or courage — capable of sustaining 
men in battle. 

4 t\iK<t)7rtg. The word is applied by Homer only to the Achaeans and the 
daughter of Chryses. Pindar couples it with Venus. w»// is probably the 
source of it, and handsome or noble the sense. A Scholiast suggests the 
word may be derived from kujttt}, and so £\ikw7T£c might mean naval — the 
Achseans who came by sea. 

5 But is broader to be seen. 



64 ILIAD III.— V. 203 — 232. 

tainly that is a true word you have said x ; for here, also, 

205 once the noble Ulysses came on an embassy, on thy 
account, along with the brave Menelaus. And them I 
received and entertained in my house, and marked the 
persons of both and their wise counsels. And when they 
were mixed up with the assembled Trojans, Menelaus, as 

210 they stood 2 , rose above him by the broad shoulders; but 
when both were sitting, Ulysses was more majestic. When 
they addressed the people, and explained their views 3 , 
Menelaus indeed spoke concisely 4 — a few words, but very 
agreeably, since he was neither loquacious nor rambling 5 , 

215 although the younger man. But when the wise Ulysses 
rose, he at first stood still, and looked down, fixing his 
eyes upon the ground ; and his sceptre he waved neither 
backwards nor forwards, but, like a stupid man, kept 

220 it motionless — you might have said he was thus at once 
sullen, and a fool. But when at last the mighty voice 
burst from his breast, and words, which resembled the 
snow-showers of winter 6 , no other mortal would have then 
contended with Ulysses. Then indeed were we not so 
charmed at the form of Ulysses 7 " 

225 Seeing Aj ax, the old man, a third time, asked: "And 
who is that other Achaean warrior, large and tall, who 
overtops the Argives, by the head and broad shoulders ?" 

And long-robed Helen, loveliest of women, replied: 
"That is the mighty Ajax, the bulwark of the Achaeans; 

230 and Idomeneus stands on the other side among the Cre- 
tans, like a god ; and round him are gathered the leaders 
of the Cretans. Often has the warlike Menelaus hos- 



1 i. e. you are quite right. 2 They standing. 

3 But when they wove words and plans to all. 

4 Or, rapidly — cursorily — not dwelling upon points. 

5 Not one who does not hit the mark, or not stick to his subject. Mene- 
laus in his speeches was short, hut to the purpose. 

6 But when he poured the mighty voice from his breast, and words like 
wintry snow-showers. 

7 i. e. not so much as at his eloquence, — we no longer thought of his 
appearance, noble as that was. 



ILIAD III.— V. 233—262. 65 

pit ably received him in our house, when he came from 
Crete. And now do I behold all the other noble 1 Achaeans, 
whom I could readily recognise, and tell their names ; but 235 
two leaders of the people I cannot see, Castor, the driver 
of horses, and Pollux, the skilful boxer, — my own twin 
brothers, whom, with myself, the same mother bore. Did 
they not come from lovely Lacedaemon ? Or hither came 240 
in sea-crossing barks, but now no longer will enter the 
battle of men, ashamed of the many scandals and re- 
proaches which attach to me V 

Thus she spake ; but them their mother 3 earth already 
enclosed there in Lacedaemon, in their loved native land. 

And now the heralds were bringing through the city 245 
the sanctions of the compact 4 , two lambs, with gladdening 
wine, produce of the soil, in a goat^s skin ; and Idaeus, the 
herald, bore a splendid goblet and golden cups; and 
standing near the old man, he thus excited him with his 
words : 

" Rise, son of Laomedon, the chiefs of the noble Trojan 250 
and brazen-mailed Achaeans summon thee to descend into 
the plain, that thou mayst strike a solemn compact 5 . For 
Alexander and brave Menelaus are going to fight with 
long spears for the dame ; and the dame and her riches will 255 
be the reward of the conqueror 6 . But the rest of us, 
under the sanction of a peace 7 , shall cultivate fruitful 
Troy ; and they will return to fertile Argos, and Achaeis, 
land of beautiful women." 

Thus he spake; and the old man shuddered, but he 
ordered his people to put the horses to the car s , and they 260 
obeyed with alacrity. And then Priam mounted, and 
took 9 the reins, and Antenor ascended the beautiful car 

1 tXiKWTreg. A. 98. V. 190. 2 Which are to me. 

3 <pv<Ji%oog — that generates the necessaries of life. 

4 boizia iritrra — soil, the lambs, wine, &c. 

5 opKia TnrjTa — the compact ; as three lines below, the phrase stands for 
the final peace. 6 Will follow him who conquei^s. 

7 Friendship and sure victims, i. e. victims of faith having struck. 

8 To yoke his horses. » Drew back, i. e. behind the horses. 

F 



66 ILIAD III.— V. 263—288. 

beside him ; and they drove the swift horses through the 
Scaean gates towards the plain. 

And when now they reached the Trojans and Achaeans, 
265 alighting from the car l on the fruitful earth, they walked 
into the open space between the Trojans and Achaeans. 
And then forthwith Agamemnon, king of men, rose up, 
and the wise Ulysses ; and the worthy heralds brought 
270 the victims 2 and mingled 3 wine in a goblet, and poured 
water upon the hands of the kings. And Atrides, drawing 
out with his hands the knife, which always hung beside the 
great scabbard of his sword, cut off the wool from the 
heads of the lambs ; and then the heralds distributed it 
275 among the chiefs of the Trojans and Achaeans. And 
Atrides prayed among i them with a loud voice, lifting up 
his hands : 
_~- (i Father Jove, who rulest from Ida, most glorious, most 
mighty ; and thou Sun, who seest all things and hearest 
all things ; and ye Rivers, and thou Earth, and ye who 
280 below 5 punish dead men, who break their oaths 6 , be ye 
witnesses, and guardians of 7 this compact. If Alexander 
shall slay Menelaus, then let him keep Helen and all her 
wealth, and we return in our sea-crossing ships ; but if 
the yellow-haired Menelaus shall kill Alexander, then let 
285 the Trojans restore Helen and all her wealth, and pay 
to the Argives a fine such as is just — one which shall be 
memorable, even among future generations 8 . But if — 
should Alexander fall 9 — Priam and the sons of Priam 



1 17T7TOVC. 

2 opKia Triara may here mean, not only the victims, but the apparatus 
for the sacrifice generally. 

3 Not diluted with water — the wine brought by the Trojans was mixed 
with some produced by the Achaeans. 

4 Perhaps with them. 

5 TivvaBov — a dual ; and therefore Pluto and Proserpine must be meant. 

6 May have sworn a perjury. "' And guard. 

8 Among men which are to be. The Ti\ir\ is an indemnity for the charges 
of the war, sufficient to protect future generations from like aggressions— 
or possibly, an annual tribute for ever may be meant. 

9 Alexander having fallen. 




ILIAD III.— V. 290—317. G7 

a\ ill not pay the fine, then will I fight again for that fine, 290 
remaining here, till I finish the war K" 

He said, and with his pitiless knife cut the throats of 
the lambs, and he laid them, palpitating, upon the ground, 
deprived of life; for the knife had taken away their 
strength. Then taking wine from the flagon into their 295 
goblets, they libated, and prayed to the immortal gods ; 
and thus each of the Achaeans and Trojans said : 

" Jove, most glorious, most mighty, and ye other im- 
mortal gods ! whoever first shall violate 2 this compact, 300 
thus may the brains both of them and of their children 
flow, as this wine, upon the ground ; and may their wives 
be united with others V 

Thus they spake, but the son of Saturn did not at all 
accomplish their desire. And Priam, son of Dardanus, 
thus addressed them 4 : 

" Hear me, ye Trojans and well-armed Achaeans. I 305 
must now go back to windy Ilium, since I could by no 
means bear to see my loved son combating with brave 
Menelaus. Jove well knows this, and the rest of the 
immortal gods, to which of the two death is decreed 5 ." 

The godlike man thus spake, and placed the lambs 6 in 310 
the car. And then he mounted himself, and took the 
reins ; and Antenor ascended the beautiful car beside him, 
and back then they returned to Troy. 

And Hector, son of Priam, and the noble Ulysses, mea- 
sured first the ground; and then taking lots, they shook 315 
them in a brazen helmet, to determine which should first 
throw his brazen spear. Meanwhile the people prayed, 

1 Till I find an end for the war. 

8 Do wrong contrary to the compact. 

3 i. e. as captives, be at the disposal of others. 

4 Spoke to them a word. 

5 But Jove and the other immortal gods know this, to which the end of 
death is fated — implying he did not. 

6 In cases of this kind, the victims were not eaten, but buried in the 
ground, or tin-own into the sea. 

f2 



68 ILIAD III.— V. 318—346. 

and lifted up their hands to the gods, and thus each of 
the Achaeans and Trojans said : 

320 "O father Jove, who rulest from Ida, most glorious, 

most mighty, whichever was the author of this war *, grant 

that he may descend, slain, to the mansion of Hades ; and 

that friendship and peace may again exist among us." 

Thus they spake; and the great and active 2 Hector 

325 shook the helmet, looking backwards ; and immediately the 
lot of Paris leaped out. Then the troops 3 sat down in 
their ranks, where each man's fleet horses and beautiful * 
armour were 5 . And the noble Alexander, the husband of 
fair-haired Helen, put his bright armour on his shoulders. 

330 First he put round his legs handsome greaves fastened 
with silver clasps; next he braced upon his breast the 
corselet of his brother Lycaon, for it fitted him ; and then 
round his shoulders 6 he hung his brazen sword, with a 

335 silver hilt, and then his shield, large and massive ; and 
upon his gallant head he placed a well-formed helmet, 
crested with horse-hair, and the crest nodded awfully from 
above ; and he selected a strong spear, which fitted his 
hand. And so in the same manner the warrior Menelaus 
also braced on his armour. 

340 And when therefore they were armed on both sides 7 , 
they advanced to the mid-space 8 between the Trojans and 
Achaeans, looking fiercely ; and amazement seized the 
gazing Trojan chiefs and well-armed Achaeans. And 

f now they stood near each other, within the measured 

345 ground, shaking their spears, and mutually enraged 9 . And 
first Alexander hurled his long spear, and struck the 



1 Whoever placed these deeds among both. 

2 KopvOaioXog. See B. 816. 3 They. 

4 7roiiciXa — expressive of the ornaments or workmanship of the armour. 

5 Where lay to each his, &c. 

6 Suspended from a belt which went round the shoulder — i. e. the left 
shoulder. The shield, in like manner, was suspended by another — a cross 
belt — which went round the right shoulder. 7 In each army. 

8 To the middle of. 9 Enraged or inflamed against one another. 



ILIAD III.— V. 347—373. 69 

round ' shield of the son of Atreus. But it pierced not the 
brass, for its point was bent in the strong shield. And, 
in his turn, Menelaus, son of Atreus, advanced with his 350 
spear 2 , praying first to father Jove : 

" Jove, O king, grant that I may take my revenge on 
the divine Alexander for the wrong which he has done me 
unprovoked 3 ; and subdue him by my hands, that even 
among posterity each may shrink from wronging an host 
who has shown him hospitality 4 ." 

He spake, and brandishing his long spear, he hurled it, 355 
and struck the round shield of the son of Priam. Through 
the glittering shield pierced the impetuous spear, and 
forced its way through the corselet of curious workman- 
ship ; and cut right through the tunic, at his flank ; but 
he swerved aside, and escaped black death. Then the son 360 
of Atreus, drawing his silver-hilted sword, and raising it, 
smote the cone of his helmet ; but it fell from his hand, 
broken into three or four pieces upon it. And the son of 
Atreus, looking up to the wide heaven, groaned : 

" Jove, father, no other of the gods is more malicious 365 
than thou. I quite expected to have had my revenge on 
Alexander for his wrongs ; and now my sword is broken 
in my hand, and my spear was thrown 5 without effect, 
nor have I struck him." 

He said, and springing upon him, seized him by the 
helmet crested with horse-hair, and turning round, dragged 
him towards the well-armed Achaeans. And the embroid- 370 
ered band at his tender throat was choking him — the 
strap of the helmet which went 6 under his chin. And 
now would Menelaus have dragged him off, and obtained 

1 On all sides equal — i. e. round, or smooth, according as the word be 
supposed to refer to the shape or surface of the shield. 

2 (jjpvvro xct\»c<£> — rose with his brass : equivalent to the altior insurgens 
of Virgil XII. 902. 

3 Who first did evil deeds to me. 

4 Each of men born hereafter may shudder to do evil to the host, who 
has shown him friendship. 

5 Was cast from mv hands. 6 Was stretched. 



70 ILIAD III.— V. 374—403. 

immense glory, had not Venus, daughter of Jove, quickly 
perceived it, and snapt the leathern x band ; and the empty 

375 helmet followed his powerful hand. Then the hero whirl- 
ing it round, tossed it among the well-armed Achaeans, 
and his dear comrades picked it up. And back he rushed 

380 with a brazen spear, eager to kill his enemy ; but Venus, 
with the greatest ease, as a goddess, carried him off; and 
then covered him with a thick cloud, and placed him in 
his fragrant-scented chamber. 

Then she went herself to call Helen, and her she found 

385 upon a lofty tower, with many 2 Trojan ladies round her; 
and taking hold of her beautiful robe with her hand, she 
pulled it ; but she spoke to her in the likeness of an old 
woman, an aged dresser of wool, who beautifully dressed 
the white fleeces for her while she dwelt at Lacedaemon, 
and greatly loved her. Taking her form, the goddess 
Venus addressed her : 

390 " Come hither ; Alexander invites thee to return home ; 
for he is in the bridal 3 chamber, radiant in beauty and 
dress. You would not say that he had returned home — 
after combating 4 , but rather that he was going to a dance, 
or was sitting down, having just left off dancing." 

395 Thus she spake, and stirred her passions in her breast. 

As soon, however, as Helen perceived the beautiful neck of 

the goddess, her lovely bosom, and sparkling eyes, she 

was filled with amazement, and addressed her, and said 5 : 

i£ Goddess, why desirest thou to deceive me thus 6 ? 

400 Somewhere farther among the populous cities 7 of Phrygia, 
or pleasant Maeonia, art thou going to take me — if there 
be there too any favourite of thine 8 ? Is it because Mene- 
laus, having now conquered the noble Alexander, is willing 

1 Thong made of an ox killed by violence. 

2 Ladies in great number. 

3 Chamber and bed — bed turned — shaped by turner's instruments. 

4 That he came, having fought with a man. 

5 And spake a word, &c. i. e. addressed her, and said in particular. 

6 ravra. 7 The genitive depends on 7nj. 

8 If there also be some one of articulate-speaking men dear to thee. 

12 



ILIAD III.— V. 404—434. 71 

to take me, hateful as I am, home again ? — is it for this 
thou now comest here to entrap me l ? Go thyself and sit 405 
beside him, and renounce the ways of gods 2 ._ No longer —— ~ 
bend thy steps towards Olympus 3 , but ever whimper 
round him and tend him, until he make thee his wife or 
his slave. I, at least, will not go there — it would now be 410 
disgraceful — to share his bed ; all the Trojan women 
would hereafter cry shame upon me ; and I have already 
sorrows enough upon my mind." 

But the goddess Venus, indignant, replied : " Provoke 
me not, perverse one, lest enraged I desert thee, and hate 
thee as much as now I have greatly loved thee; and lest I 415 
stir up deadly enmities in both Trojans and Achaeans, 
against thee, and thou die a miserable death." 

Thus she spake ; and Helen, sprung from Jove, was 
frightened, and, enveloped in her white splendid veil, she 
went in silence, and was unobserved by all the Trojan 420 
women 4 , and the goddess led the way. 

And when they arrived at the beautiful abode of Alex- 
ander, her attendants 5 turned hastily to their works 6 ; and 
the loveliest of women ascended to the lofty bridal cham- 
ber. Then the smiling Venus, taking a seat for her, 
placed it opposite Alexander, the goddess herself carrying 425 
it; and there Helen, daughter of the aegis-bearing Jove, 
sat averting her eyes, and thus upbraided her husband. 

" Thou art come then from battle ! Would that thou 
hadst there perished, slain by the brave man who was my 
former husband. Thou didst boast of old that thou wert 430 
superior to brave Menelaus in strength, in dexterity 7 , and 
in the use of the spear — go, then, and challenge again 
brave Menelaus to fight thee. But I advise thee to desist, 
and not unwisely enter the lists 8 with the yellow-haired 

1 Art thou now present laying snares for me ? 

^ i.e. all intercourse with the gods — not the condition of divinity. 

3 No more return to Olympus with thy feet. 

4 She eluded the observation of all the Trojan women. 

5 Helen's two attendants. 6 To their wonted duties. 

7 In hands. 8 And not to fight an opposing battle with Menelaus. 



72 ILIAD III.— V. 435—461. 

Menelaus, and fight him, lest thou be quickly subdued by 

435 his spear." 

But Paris, in reply, said : " Lady, vex not my soul with 
bitter reproaches. For Menelaus has conquered now, by 
the aid of Minerva; and I, in my turn, shall vanquish 

440 him, for I also have gods on my side l . But come, let us 
turn to the dreams of love 2 ; for never did desire so seize 
my soul — no, not when first snatching thee from lovely 
Lacedsemon, I sailed in my sea-crossing ships, and enjoyed 
thy person in the isle of Cranae, as now I love thee, and 

445 the fond desire possesses me." 

He said, and moved towards 3 the bed, and his wife 
followed him ; and they slept in the beautiful 4 couch. 

Meanwhile the son of Atreus roamed though the army 
like a wild beast, in pursuit of the godlike Alexander 5 . 

450 But none of the Trojans or of their noble allies was able 
then to point out Alexander to the warlike Menelaus ; 
for they would not have concealed him through friendship, 
had any seen him, since he was hated by all of them as 
much as black death. And the king of men, Agamemnon, 

455 addressed them : 

" Hear me, ye Trojans, and Dardans, and allies. The 
victory of brave Menelaus is manifest ; therefore restore 
ye Argive Helen, and her riches along with her, and pay 
such a fine as is just — one which shall be memorable even 

460 among future generations 6 ." Thus spake Atrides, and 
the other Achaeans approved. 

1 For to us also there are gods by us. 

2 But come, let us, l)"iiig down, turn to love. 

3 And began going — led the way. 

4 Pierced, or perforated — described Sivwtoigi Xfxetffai in 391 of this 
book. State-beds — bedsteads, perhaps, as distinguished from mattresses on 
the floor. 

5 If he could any where perceive. 6 See lines 28C, 7« 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER 



BOOK IV. 



ARGUMENT. 



In a council of the gods, a dispute arises between Jupiter and Juno, which 
is at last compromised, Jove consenting to dispatch Minerva with a 
charge to incite some Trojan to a violation of the truce. Minerva 
descends for this purpose, and in the form of Laodocus, a son of Priam, 
exhorts Pandarus to shoot at Menelaus, and succeeds. Menelaus is 
wounded, and Agamemnon, having consigned him to the care of Ma- 
chaon, goes forth to perform the duties of commander in chief, in the 
encouragement of his host to battle. The battle begins. 

Meanwhile the Gods, sitting by the side of Jove, were 
chatting 1 in the golden hall 2 ; and, among them, the charm- 
ing Hebe was pouring out nectar ; and in succession they 
each took the golden cups, as they gazed upon the city of 5 
the Trojans. Then the son of Saturn endeavoured to irri- 
tate Juno, with sarcastic words, addressing her obliquely : 
" Two of the Goddesses are patrons of Menelaus, Argive 
Juno, and the protecting Minerva, and truly they are, 
sitting apart 3 , amusing themselves with looking on ; whilst 
with Paris, on the contrary, smiling Venus is ever present, 10 



1 Not in consultation — as in B. 788, o\ ayopag ayoptvov does not express 
a formal meeting on business. 

2 Pavement — i. e. hall paved with gold. 

8 i. e. as if without any regard for him — making no attempt to aid him. 



74 ILIAD IV.— V. 12—41. 

and defending him from fate 4 , and has even now just 
rescued him, when expecting to die. But certainly the 
victory belongs to the brave Menelaus ; and we must now 

15 consult how these matters shall be, whether, that is, we 
shall again excite evil war and direful battle, or make 5 
peace between both parties. And if this be thus agree- 
able and pleasant to all, then truly may the city of king 
Priam be still inhabited 6 , and Menelaus take Argive Helen 
home again." 

20 Thus he spake ; and Minerva and Juno, who were sit- 
ting together, and plotting evils against the Trojans, 
growled. Minerva indeed was silent, and spake not, 
though irritated with father Jove, and though wild rage 
seized her ; but Juno could not restrain her indignation 
within her breast, but said : 

25 " Most imperious son of Saturn, what words are these 
thou speakest ? Why wouldst thou make my labour vain, 
and that sweat unfruitful, which I in toil have sweated ? 
Even my horses were fatigued, whilst I assembled the 
army, to bring evils upon Priam and his sons. Do as thou 
wilt 7 , but none of the rest of us shall approve." 

30 Then the cloud-collecting Jove, in great anger replied : 
(i Goddess, what wrongs so great have Priam, and the sons 
of Priam done thee, that thou shouldst, so ardently, desire 
to lay waste the well-built town of Ilium? For if thou 

35 couldst enter the gates and lofty walls, and eat up Priam 
raw, and the sons of Priam, and the rest of the Trojans, 
then mightst thou sate thine anger. Do, however, as thou 
wilt — let not at least this dispute, for the future, be matter 
of great contention between thee and me 8 . But I will tell 

40 thee something else, and do thou cast it in thy heart. If 
ever I have a great 9 desire to destroy a city, where there 



4 And puts away from him the fates. 5 Throw or put. 

c i. e. not be captured, hut preserved. 

7 Do — 07rwc sOeXeig must be understood — the words occur in line 37 below. 

8 To thee and me, between both of us. 

9 fiefxawg tOeXoj — earnestly wish. 



, 



ILIAD IV.— V. 42—66. 75 

arc men, dear to thee, thwart not thou my fury, but give 
way to me ; "for though I have given up this city to thee, 
of my own accord, I do it with unwilling mind. For of 
the cities of terrestrial men, which are inhabited beneath 45 
the sun and starry heavens, beyond all others sacred Ilium 1 
was honoured in my heart, and Priam, and the people of 
Priam, famed for his ashen spear 2 . For never was my 
altar without abundant offerings, both of wine and fat 3 — 
the honour allotted us * by fate." 

And large-eyed imperial Juno then answered : " Well, 50 
there are three cities very dear to me, Argos, and Sparta, 
and wide-streeted Mycenae ; them destroy when they are 
hateful to thy soul 5 . I will neither defend them 6 , nor 
trouble myself about them 7 . For indeed if I should inter- 55 
pose and not allow 8 you to destroy them, T should effect 
nothing by interposing ; since thou art by much the more 
powerful. But it becomes thee not to render my labour 
fruitless; for I likewise am a divinity, and of the same 
origin 9 with thyself, and I am wily Saturn's daughter, and 
entitled to respect 10 , on two accounts — by birth, and be- 60 
cause I am 11 called thy wife, and thou art king over all 
immortals. We will, therefore, give way to each other 
in these matters, I to thee, and thou to me ; and the other 
immortal Gods will follow ; and do thou quickly enjoin 
Minerva to repair to the dire battle-field of the Trojans and 65 
Achaeans, and endeavour to make the Trojans be the first, 



1 \pt] — as usual — for auythiug great or illustrious. 

2 With a good ashen spear. 

3 kvktgt] — fat — or the odour of it — roasted or burnt. 

4 i. e. the gods — for that is the honour which we have obtained by allotment. 

5 Whenever they are hateful above others in thy heart. 

6 I neither stand before them. 

7 fieyaipuj and (pSovsw seem in the older usage of the Greeks to have 
meant — forbidding, or interposing to prevent. 

8 i. e. try to prevent. 

n And whence the birth is to me, thence it is to thee. 
10 7rc)t<T(3vTaTT]v — employed generally for eldest-born, but, in the present 
case, obviously as here rendered. n or styled. 



76 ILIAD IV.— V. 67—94. 

contrary to the compact, to do some injury to the exulting 
Achaeans." 

70 Thus she spake, nor did the father of Gods and men 
refuse, but immediately addressed Minerva with winged 
words : 

"Away, with speed, to the army of the Trojans and 
Achaeans, and endeavour to make the Trojans be the first 
to commit, contrary to the compact, some injury on the 
exulting Achaeans/ 5 

Thus speaking, he dispatched Minerva, ready enough 
before to go, and she descended, hastening, from the sum- 

75 mits of Olympus. For as a star, which wily Saturn's son 
sends forth, to be an omen either to sailors, or to some 
wide army of troops, brilliant, and one from which many 
sparks shoot forth — like that, did Minerva rush towards 
the earth, and leaped into the midst of them : and amaze- 

80 ment seized the Trojan chiefs and well-armed Achaeans, 
on beholding her. And thus, one looking at his neigh- 
bour, said — 

" Either there will be evil war and dire contest again *, 
or Jove, who is the arbiter of war among men, will make 

85 peace between both nations" Thus said Achaeans and 
Trojans to one another 2 . But she (Minerva) entered into 
the army of the Trojans in likeness of a man 3 , of Laodo- 
cus, son of Antenor, a gallant warrior, seeking for the god- 
like Pandarus, if she could any where find him. And she 

90 found the brave and noble Pandarus standing, and round 
him powerful ranks of shielded men, who accompanied him 
from the streams of ^Esepis. And standing near him, she 
spake these winged words : 

" Wilt thou be persuaded by me, warlike son of Lycaon ? 
Wilt thou venture to shoot a fleet arrow at Menelaus ? Thou 



1 The first t] may be affirmative, and fiaXXov be understood with the 
second — which will afford a more consistent sense — Surely there will rather 
be war again than peace. 

2 L e. one Achaean said to another Achaean — and one Trojan to another 
Trojan — indefinitely and generally. 3 Like to a man. 



ILIAD IV.— V. 95—120. 77 

wouldst gain thanks and glory with all the Trojans, and 95 
above all, with king Alexander. From him thou wouldst 
surely, in particular, receive some splendid gifts, should 
he see warlike Menelaus, son of Atreus, subdued by thy 
weapon, placed upon the sad funeral pile. Come then, 
shoot an arrow at Menelaus, elevated with glory, and vow 100 
to Apollo 4 , famed for his bow, to sacrifice a noble heca- 
tomb of first-born lambs, upon thy return 5 home to the 
city of sacred Zeleia." 

Thus spake Minerva, and persuaded the mind of the 
fool 6 . Immediately he drew forth 7 his smooth bow, made 105 
from a wanton wild goat, one which, as it came out of a 
cave, he himself, watching for it in ambuscade, hitting it 
on the chest, struck to the heart ; and it fell prone into the 
cave. Its horns grew from its head of the length of six- 
teen palms; and the artist, the polisher of horns, had with 110 
labour 8 prepared 9 them ; and after smoothing every part 
beautifully, put upon them golden tips. And when he (Pan- 
clarus) had bent it ' well, he put one end on the ground, 
stooping; and his gallant comrades held their shields be- 
fore him, lest the brave sons of the Achaeans should rise 2 , 115 
before Menelaus, the brave leader of the Achaeans, was 
struck. Then he took off the cover of his quiver, and from 
it selected an arrow new 3 and feathered, the source of dark 
pains. And immediately he fitted the dire arrow to the 
string, and vowed to offer to Apollo 4 , famed for his bow, a 
noble hecatomb of first-born lambs, upon his return home 120 



4 AvKTjysvrjg. The Lycian, according to the usual interpretation, which, 
however, would require AvKirjyevrjg. The son of light, or of the morn, 
suits alike the etymology of the word, and the attributes of Apollo. 

5 Having returned. 6 And persuaded the mind to him foolish. 
7 i. e. from its case. 8 Labouring. 

9 i. e. by fastening together the roots of the two horns, which formed the 
centre of the bow. 

1 i. e. when he had strung the bow, he laid it down, whilst he selected an 
arrow from his quiver — stooping to escape observation. 

2 For they were sitting down. 

3 Unshot — never shot before ; and, of course, with its point unblunted. 



78 ILIAD IV.— V. 121 — 150. 

to the city of sacred Zeleia. Then seizing the notch of 
the arrow, and the bow-string 5 together, he drew them ; 
the string he brought close to his breast, and the point G 
of the arrow to the bow. And when he had bent the large 
bow into a circle, the bow twanged, and the string sounded 

125 loud, and the sharp-pointed arrow sprang forth, eager to 
rush among the crowd. 

Nor were the blessed immortal Gods forgetful of thee, 
Menelaus, and first, the despoiler 7 , the daughter of Jove, 

130 who, standing before thee, averted the deadly arrow. And 
she repelled it from his body as much as when a mother 
drives away a fly from her child, while he reclines in sweet 
sleep ; and then she directed it where the golden clasps of 
his belt met 8 , and the double corselet interposed ; and the 

135 dire arrow struck upon the tightened belt; through the 
belt of curious workmanship it drove, and pierced the beau- 
tiful corselet, and the girdle 9 which he wore, the protec- 
tion of his person, a defence against darts, and which very 
much protected him — even through it did it make its 

140 way ; and then the arrow grazed the skin of the man on 
the surface l , and immediately the dark blood flowed from 
the wound. 

And as when some Maeonian or Carian maid stains a 
piece of ivory with purple for the cheek-piece 2 of horses, 
and it lies in her chamber, and many horsemen are desirous 

145 to have it, but the favour lies for a king, — for two pur- 
poses — an ornament for his horse, and a glory to the 
driver ; so, Menelaus, were thy good thighs and legs, and 
fair ancles beneath, stained with blood. 

Then the king of men, Agamemnon, shuddered when he 
saw the black blood flowing from the wound; and the 

150 brave Menelaus himself also shuddered. But when he 



5 Ox-sinews. 6 Iron. 

7 AyeXeirj — i. e. apparently, Xrjirig, as she is expressly styled in K. 460. 

8 Fastened the belt. 9 i. e. the inner girdle — next his person. 

1 atcporarov x? oa — on the very outside — a scratch comparatively. 

2 A blinker ? 



ILIAD IV.— V. 151—179- 79 

perceived the string 3 , and the barbs of the arrow outside 4 , 
his courage was again collected within his breast. And 
king Agamemnon, groaning deeply among them, addressed 
him, holding Menelaus by the hand; and their comrades 
also groaned : 

f "My beloved brother, for thy death this compact have 155 
I struck, by opposing thee thus alone to fight for the 
Achaeans against the Trojans : so have the Trojans wounded 
thee, and trampled on the sacred compact. Not in vain, 
however, can be the oath of compact, and the blood of 
lambs, and the unmixed libations, and the right hands in 
which we trusted; for although the Olympian has not at 160 
once enforced them, he will at last enforce ; and they will 
dearly 5 pay for it with their own heads, their wives, and 
their children. For this I know well in my soul 6 , that 
the day will come when sacred Ilium shall perish, and 
Priam, and the people of Priam, skilled in the ashen 165 
spear; and Jove, the son of Saturn, the ruler on high, 
who dwells in the ah', will himself shake over all of them 
his stormy ^Egis, indignant at this treachery; and these 
things will not be unaccomplished. But deep grief will be 
upon me on thy account, O Menelaus, if thou shouldst 170 
die, and complete the destiny of life. And I shall return 
to long-desired Argos, covered with infamy 7 ; for the 
Achaeans will immediately recall to mind then' native land 8 , 
and we shall leave Argive Helen, a boast to Priam and the 
Trojans. And the earth will rot thy bones, as thou liest 9 175 
in Troy, after fruitless toil ; and thus will insolent Trojans 
say, trampling on the tomb of glorious Menelaus : c Even 
thus may Agamemnon wreak his anger upon all, as now 
he has led hither an army of Achaeans to no purpose ; and 



3 That with which the iron point was fastened to the shaft. 

4 L e. had not penetrated. 5 With much, i. e. evil. 

6 For this I well know in my mind and soul — as if there were two 
mediums, the head and the heart. 

7 Most infamous. 

8 L e. will think of returning home. 9 The hones of thee lying, &c. 



80 ILIAD IV.— V. 180—206. 

180 has at last gone home to his own native land with empty l 
ships, leaving brave Menelaus behind him/ So will they 
speak ; and then may the wide earth yawn for me." 

But the yellow-haired Menelaus, cheering him, said : 
" Cheer up 2 , nor by any means alarm the people of the 

185 Achaeans. The sharp weapon has not pierced to a mortal 
place, for the ornamented belt first resisted it, and be- 
neath that the corselet 3 and the girdle 4 which armourers 
made 5 " 

And king Agamemnon answering him said : " Oh that 

190 it may be so, dear Menelaus ; but a surgeon shall probe 
the wound, and apply medicaments, to allay the black 
pains e ." 

He said, and addressed Talthybius, the noble herald: 
"Talthybius, call hither as quick as possible, Machaon, 

195 son of the famous surgeon, iEsculapius, that he may see 
Menelaus, the brave leader of the Achaeans, whom one of 
the Trojans or Lycians, well skilled in the bow, by shoot- 
ing an arrow at him, has wounded — for him a glory, but 
for us a grief." 

Thus he spake, and the herald heard and did not dis- 

200 obey ; and he went 7 to the army of the brazen-mailed 
Achaeans, looking round for the hero Machaon; and he 
marked him standing, and round him were gallant ranks 
of shielded warriors, who accompanied him from Tricca, 
feeder-of-horses. And standing near, he addressed him in 
winged words : 

" Up, son of iEsculapius ; king Agamemnon calls thee, 

205 that thou mayst look at the warlike Menelaus, son of 
Atreus, whom one of the Trojans or Lycians, well skilled 

1 i. e. without the spoils of Troy. 

2 Take courage — do not be alarmed. 

3 Zcofia — i. e. the lower part of the corselet. The whole corselet (BoopijZ) 
is in line 133 called dnrXoog (double). 

4 [itrprj — which seems to have been a brass plate — or a kind of quilting, 
covered with brass. 

5 Men who work in brass. 

6 Severe pains. 7 He went to go — set out. 



ILIAD IV.— V. 206—234. 81 

in archery, by shooting an arrow at him, has wounded — for 
him a glory, but for us a grief. 5 ' 

Thus he spake, and stirred his heart within his breast; 210 
and they proceeded through the ranks, along the wide 
army of Achaeans. And when now they came where the 
yellow-haired Menelaus had been wounded, and where all 
the chiefs were 8 gathered round him in a circle, he presented 
himself in the midst, a man equal to a god ; and Machaon 
immediately plucked the arrow from the fastened belt ; but 
in plucking it out, the sharp barbs bent back. Then he 215 
loosed the decorated belt, and beneath it the corslet 9 and 
girdle, which armourers made. And when he saw the 
wound where the dire arrow fell, he squeezed out the 
blood, and skilfully sprinkled upon the wound soothing- 
medicaments \ which Chiron of old kindly 2 gave to his 
father. 

Whilst these were occupied around the brave Menelaus, 220 
the ranks of the shielded Trojans advanced ; and the 
Achaeans again put on their armour, and prepared 3 for 
battle. Then would you not see the noble Agamemnon 
sleeping, nor trembling, nor unwilling to fight, but very 
eager for glorious combat ; for he left his horses, and his 225 
car adorned with brass, and his attendant Eurymedon, 
the son of Ptolemaeus, the son of Peirais, held them snort- 
ing at a little distance ; whom he strongly charged to keep 
them near him, to receive him whenever weariness should 
seize his limbs, in giving orders to many. And, on foot, 230 
he went along the ranks of heroes, and whomsoever of 
the Danaans, with fleet horses i , he perceived stirring 
— standing beside them, he greatly encouraged them with 
words : 

" Argives, spare none of your bold valour ; for Jove, the 

8 As many chiefs as were. 9 See line 177- 

1 Dried herbs or roots pounded to a powder — which experience had 
shown to have styptic powers. 

2 Chiron thinking friendly tilings. 3 Were mindful of. 
* The warriors in cars. 

G 



82 ILIAD IV.— V. 235—261. 

235 father, will never be the protector of perjuries ; but these 
who were the first to do injury, contrary to our compact — 
of these same men shall vultures surely devour the limbs 5 ; 
and we, on the other hand, will carry off in our ships their 
loved wives and young children, when we have taken the 
town." 

240 But whomsoever, again, he saw shrinking from hateful 
combat, them he sharply censured with angry words : 

"Miserable 6 Argives, cowards, are ye not ashamed? 
Why stand ye thus paralysed 7 , like fawns? who, when 
they are weary with running over a vast plain, stand 
still, nor is there any strength in their breasts ; — so stand 

245 ye, paralysed, and do not fight. Or wait ye till the Trojans 
come nearer — where your fair-sterned vessels are laid up 8 
upon the shore of the hoary sea — that ye may see whether 
the son of Saturn will hold his hand over you ?" 

250 Thus commanding, he reviewed the ranks of heroes, 
and moving along the line, he came to the Cretans. 
And Idomeneus and his troops 9 were arming; Idome- 
neus was in the van, like a boar in strength, and Me- 

255 riones was rousing the columns in the rear. And the 
king of men, Agamemnon, seeing them, was delighted, 
and immediately addressed Idomeneus with pleasant 
words : 

a Idomeneus, I respect thee, above other Danaans with 
fleet horses, both in battle x and at every sort of labour, 

260 and in the feast too, when the chiefs of the Argives mix 
in goblets the generous purple wine; for, though other 

5 Soft skin — that covers their limbs. 

6 lofiwpoi — food for arrows — may possibly meet the sense, if not square 
with the etymology, of which there is much doubt. 

7 Or rather — as if already spent with exertion. 

8 Are dragged ashore. 

9 ot d' a\L<$ Idofi. 

1 In battle I honour thee, &c. i. e. by rewards — in council by consulting 
thee, &c. But the meaning probably is — I have the highest respect for 
your universal superiority — you are every where most conspicuous — in 
battle, in foray, in council, at table, &c. 



ILIAD IV.— V. 2G2— 2S9. 83 

long-haired Achrcans drink by measure 2 , thy cup stands 
always full, like my own 3 , to drink when the desire prompts 
thee. Away then to battle, and be such as thou of old dost 
boast to be." 

And Idomeneus leader of the Cretans, addressed him in 265 
return : ££ Son of Atreus, certainly I shall be thy steady 
friend, as I at first promised and vowed. But stir up the 
rest of the long-haired Achaeans, that we may engage as 
soon as possible, as the Trojans have broken the compact ; 
and death and destruction will in return overtake them 4 , 270 
for being the first to commence hostilities 5 , contrary to 
the compact." 

Thus he spake ; and the son of Atreus passed on, de- 
lighted in his heart ; and moving on along the ranks of 
men, he came to the two Ajaxes. And they were both 
arming, and wdth them followed a cloud of infantry. And 
as when a goatherd from a hill sees a cloud coming along 275 
the sea, impelled by the blast of the south-west wind ; and 
to him, being at a distance, it black as pitch appears, 
while advancing along the deep, and brings a mighty 
whirlwind — and seeing it he shudders, and drives his 
flocks into a cave ; so, with the Ajaxes, dense dark columns 280 
of gallant youth, bristling with shields and spears, moved 
into the fierce fight. And king Agamemnon, beholding 
them 6 , was delighted, and addressed them, he said these 
winged words : 

" Ye Ajaxes, leaders of brazen-mailed Argives, I do 285 
not — for it would be unseemly — bid you stimulate your 
troops; for you yourselves strongly urge your people to 
fight bravely. Jove, the father, Minerva, and Apollo ! 
O that such courage was in every breast ; then would the 



2 i. e. portion which is served up to them — while others helped themselves 
at pleasure — perhaps as a privilege, or mark of distinction. 

3 For, as for me. 

4 Will be to them after. 

5 Have done injuries. 

6 Tovg—cQtag, the Ajaxes ; as in 311, 2. rov— [iiv, both refer to Nestor. 

G 2 



84 ILIAD IV.— V. 290—318. 

city of king Priam quickly fall, taken and destroyed by our 

290 hands." 

Thus saying, he left them there, and went towards 
others. There he found Nestor, the eloquent orator of 
the Pylians, arranging his comrades, and exhorting them 

295 to fight, namely, Pelagon 7 , Alastor, Chromius, king Hae- 
mon, and Bias, shepherd of men 8 . The cavalry he posted, 
with their horses and cars, in front, and the numerons and 
strong infantry in the rear, to be the main support of the 
battle ; but the cowards he drove in the middle of them, 
that, though unwilling, they might fight from necessity. 

300 To the cavalry he first gave his orders ; and he charged 
them to rein in their horses, and not get into disorder; 
neither let any one, said he, trusting to his driving-skill 
and bravery, seek, alone, in advance of others, to fight 
with the Trojans, nor let him fall back, — for, if you do, you 

305 will only be the feebler. And whatever warrior comes 
up to another car, from his own car let him stretch forward 
with his spear 9 — since thus it is much better. In this 
manner also the ancients laid waste cities and forts, keep- 
ing this purpose and resolve in their breasts." 

310 Thus did the old man of long experience in war 1 stimu- 
late them ; and king Agamemnon, seeing him, was de- 
lighted, and saying winged words, addressed him : 
"^ i( Would, old man, that as is the spirit in thy bosom, 
so thy knees could follow, and thy strength were firm ; but 
age, which comes with his calamities on all, afflicts thee. 

315 Would that some other of men had it, and that thou wert 
among the younger P 

Then Nestor, the Gerenean chief, replied : " Son of 
Atreus, surely I myself too wish that I were the same as 



7 ovg afiQi HtXayovTct, &c. i. e. these chiefs and their troops. 

8 Shepherd of peoples — i. e. commander of troops. 

9 Expressive of the action of hurling a spear from the car, apparently. 
When he encounters an enemy's car, he is not to alight ; but to remain in 
his car, and from thence hurl his spear. The fighter did not drive. 

1 Of old well acquainted with arms. 

12 



ILIAD IV.— V. 320—351. 85 

when I slew the noble Ereuthalion ; but never do the gods 320 
give all things to men at once ; if I was then a youth, now 
aire in turn eonies upon me. But even so will I mix with 
the car-warriors, and direct them by my counsel and my 
words, for that is the office of old men ; and the younger 
men, who were born later than I, and who trust in their 325 
vigour, will brandish the spears.' 5 

Thus he spake; and the son of Atreus passed on, de- 
lighted in his heart. Next he found the son of Peteus, 
Menesthes, skilled in horsemanship, standing 2 ; and around 
him were the Athenians, skilful in battle ; and next him 
stood the wise Ulysses, and beside him stood the no-feeble 330 
ranks of the Cephallenians ; for not yet had their men 
heard the shout, since the columns of Trojan chiefs and 
Achaeans, now excited, were but just in motion. But they 
stood waiting until another division 3 of the Achaeans 
advancing should charge the Trojans, and commence 335 
the battle. Then the king of men, Agamemnon, seeing 
them, upbraided them, and speaking in winged words, 
said: 

ei O son of Peteus, the heaven-supported king ; and thou, 
full of evil wiles, and crafty, why, trembling, keep ye aloof, 340 
and wait for others ? You, indeed, it became to be among 
the foremost, and to go and meet the glowing battle. You 
are the first invited by me to the feast, when we Achaeans 
prepare a feast for the chiefs, where you are wont 4 to eat 
roast meat, and drink goblets of sweet wine as long as 345 
you choose ; but now ye would look on with satisfaction 
if even ten divisions of Achaeans were to fight in advance 
of you with direful arms." 

And wise Ulysses, looking sternly at him, replied : 
" Son of Atreus, what speech is this that has escaped the 350 
barrier of thy teeth ? how, pray, canst thou say we shrink 



2 i. e. not preparing for battle — lie had yet no intimation of what was 
going forward. 3 Tower. 

4 Where it is dear— the phrase expresses a habit, repeatedly, 



86 ILIAD IV.— V. 352 — 378. 

from fight? When we Achaeans rouse up sharp Mars 
against the Trojans, tamers of horses, then shalt thou 
behold, if thou wilt, and if thou carest about the matter, 
the fond father of Telemachus, mingled with the foremost 

355 warriors of the Trojans, tamers of horses. But these are 
idle words thou utterest." 

And king Agamemnon, when he perceived that he was 
irritated, addressed him, smiling, and resumed his speech : 
" Most noble 5 son of Laertes, ever-ready 6 Ulysses, by no 
means will I chide thee, or give thee orders ; for I know 

360 that the spirit within thy breast knows kind counsels 7 ; 
and what thou thinkest, I think 8 . Come then, these mat- 
ters we will settle afterwards, if any thing ill has been 
said ; and may the Gods render it all air." 

Thus speaking, he left them there, and went to others. 

365 And he found the son of Tydeus, brave Diomedes, 
standing by his horses and strong 9 cars ; and beside him 
stood Sthenelus, the son of Capaneus. Then the king, 
Agamemnon, beholding him, reproved him, and speaking- 
winged words, addressed him : 

370 " Alas, son of Tydeus, the brave tamer of horses, why 
tremblest thou, and why gazest thou upon the battle- 
field * ? Tydeus was not thus wont 2 to tremble, but 
rather, far in front of his dear comrades, to combat with 
the foe. So said they, who saw him toiling, for I never 

375 met with, nor saw him ; but they say he was superior to 
others. Once, without hostility, he came to Mycenae, a 
guest, along with the godlike Polyneices, to raise forces ; 
for they were then marching an army against the sacred 

5 Heaven-born. 

6 KCLKoiGi doXoiai KftcaGfAzve, when angry, 7ro\v/A?;%ai>£, when forced to 
conciliate. 

7 Has kind thoughts— is well disposed towards me. 

8 i. e. we have no disagreements — our views are the same. 

9 Compact — strongly made. 

1 Bridges of war — the space between the hostile armies. Compare 0. 378, 
549, A. 160, Y. 427. 

2 It was not thus dear to him. See 345. 



ILIAD IV.— V. 379—405. 87 

walls of Thebes, and entreated them (the Myceneans) much 
to give some brave auxiliaries. And they (the Myceneans) 380 
were willing to give them, and assented as they requested ; 
but Jupiter deterred them — showing unpropitious omens. JfiSlz 
xVnd they (Tydeus and Polyneices) when they had de- 
parted, and were on their way to Thebes, arrived at the 
Asopus, full of reeds and flags ; from whence the Achaeans 
dispatched Tydeus to Thebes, on an embassy 2 . And he 385 
went //lit her and found many Cadmeans feasting in the 
mansion of the mighty Eteocles 3 . There neither, stranger 
as was the equestrian Tydeus, was he troubled, though 
but one among many Cadmeans ; for he challenged them 
all to the contests, and easily overcame them in all — so 
great an assistant was Minerva to him. Then the Cad- 390 
means, prickers of horses 4 , indignant, taking fifty youth, 
placed them in close ambuscade against him as he re- 
turned ; and the two leaders were Mseon, the son of Haemon, 
like to the immortals, and the son of Autophonus, the 395 
hardy Lycophontes. Even upon these did Tydeus inflict 
a disgraceful death — he slew them all, and let 5 only one 
return home. Maeon then he dismissed, in obedience to 
the portents of the Gods. Such was Tydeus, the iEtolian ; 
but he begat a son inferior to himself in combat, though 400 
superior in talking *." 

Thus he spake, and the brave Diomedes answered not, 
through respect 7 for the reprimand of the venerable 8 
king. 

But the son of the illustrious Capaneus answered : " Son 
of Atreus, utter not falsehoods, when thou knowest how to 
speak truth 9 . We, however, boast to be much superior to 405 

2 i. e. to demand satisfaction for Polyneices. 

3 Eteoclean might. 4 Drivers of horses with goads. 
5 Sent. 6 ayopy. 

7 Respecting. 

8 aiSoiog — here, a person entitled to respect for his authority, not his age 
or personal appearance — potent. 

9 Lie not, understanding to speak truly — i. e. when it is not your disposi- 
tion to lie, or when you know better — that what you say is not true. 



88 ILIAD IV. — V. 406—435. 

our fathers. We also took the city of seven-gated Thebes, 
conducting * a smaller force up to the wall of Mars, trust- 
ing to the omens of the Gods, and the aid of Jove ; but 

410 they, by their own folly, perished. Therefore place not our 
fathers in equal honour with us 2 ." 

And the gallant Diomedes, looking sternly, addressed 
him : " Hush, sit in silence, and be advised by me ; for I 
will not blame Agamemnon, shepherd of the people, while 

415 rousing the well-armed Achaeans to fight, because upon 
him will the glory come, if the Achaeans overthrow the 
Trojans, and capture sacred Ilium; and, on the other hand, 
great sorrow, should the Achaeans be defeated. But come, 
now let both attend to actual battle." 

He said, and leaped with his arms from his car to the 

420 ground, and the brass upon the breast of the king rang 
fearfully as he strode. Terror might have seized even the 
brave 3 . 

And as when upon a much-resounding shore a wave of 
the sea, — one following another, — rushes, while the Zephy- 
rus stirs them ; at first, it rises in the deep water, and after- 

425 wards, dashed against the land, it roars loudly, and swells, 
being curled, around the rocks, and scatters 4 the salt- 
spray ; so then, one after the other, incessantly moved the 
columns of the Danaans to battle, and each commander 

430 gave order to his forces, but the rest 5 advanced mute — 
nor could you have said, that so vast an army followed, 
having voice within their breasts — reverencing their chiefs 
by their silence ; and around all shone their variegated 
armour, arrayed in which they marched in order. But the 
Trojans, as the sheep of a wealthy man, in myriads, stand 

435 in the fold whilst being milked 6 , constantly bleating, hear- 

1 ayayovQ' — a dual — meaning Tydides and himself. 

2 The fioi does not seem to depend on ofioiy. The force of it may per- 
haps he thus expressed : Do not in my presence put our fathers in equal 
honour with us. 

3 One whose mind would bear every thing. 4 Spits out. 

5 i. e. the troops, as distinguished from their commanders. 

6 Milked of their white milk. 



ILIAD IV.— V. 436—462. 89 

ing the voice of their lambs ; so the clamour of the Trojans 
rose throughout the wide army ; for the cry of all was not 
the same, nor the voice one, but the language was mixed, 
for there were men summoned from many parts. These 
Mars urged on ; and those the blue-eyed Minerva, and 440 
Terror, and Fear, and Discord, insatiably raging, the sis- 
ter and companion of Mars, slayer of men — small at first, 
she (Discord) magnifies, but soon her head approaches 
heaven, while she treads upon the earth. At that time 
also, going through the crowd, and increasing 7 the groans 445 
of men, she flung in the midst of them contention, destruc- 
tive alike to all. 

And now, when advancing on both sides, they come to 
one spot, they brought together shields and spears, and 
the might of warriors, armed with brazen corselets ; and 
now their bossed shields came in contact with each other^ 
and the great tumult arose. Then was there at once the 450 
shriek and the shout of men, of the slaughtering and the 
slaughtered ; and the earth flowed with blood. And, as 
when wintry torrents, rolling down the mountains from 
their vast sources, pour together 8 their rapid waters into 
a lake within the hollow glen; and the shepherd among 455 
the mountains afar off hears their roar — so was the shout 
and the terror of them mingling together. 

And Antilochus was the first who slew a warrior 9 of the 
Trojans, gallant in the van *, Echepolus, the son of Thaly- 
sias — him 2 he first struck upon the cone of the helmet, 
crested with horse-hair ; and the brazen spear fixed in his 
forehead and then pierced the bone within, and darkness 460 
covered his eyes 3 : and he fell, as when a tower falls 4 , in 
violent battle. And king Elephenor, son of Chalchodontes, 



7 i. e. by inflicting wounds. 

8 ovufiaXktTov — a dual — to correspond with the two armies. 

9 A man bearing arms. 1 Among the foremost fighters. 

2 tov pa — as resuming — him, I say. 

3 And darkness covered him as to the eyes. 

4 i. c. like a tower. 



90 ILIAD IV.— V. 463—493. 

the leader of the brave Abantes, seized him by the feet, as 

465 he fell, and dragged him from among the weapons with 
eagerness, that he might at once plunder him of his ar- 
mour ; but the effort was short. For the brave Agenor, 
seeing him dragging the body, wounded him with his brazen 
spear in the ribs — which were uncovered by his shield 5 , 

470 as he stooped 6 — and loosed his limbs 7 . Thus life quitted 
him ; and over him an arduous work 8 of Trojans and 
Achseans arose, and they rushed upon one another like 
wolves, and man struck down man. There the Telamonian 
Ajax slew Simoeisius, the son of Anthemion, a vigorous 
youth, whom his mother once, descending from Ida, bore 

475 at the banks of the Simo'is, when she accompanied her 
parents to see their flocks. For that reason they called 
him Simoeisius ; but he returned not to his beloved parents 
their care 9 , for short was the life of him, killed by the 
spear of the brave Ajax. Him first, as he advanced 1 , 

480 Ajax struck upon the breast, near the right pap, and the 
brazen spear went to the opposite side through the shoulder; 
and he fell among the dust on the ground, like a poplar 
tree, which grew in the waters 2 of a large marsh, (smooth, 
and branches grew upon its top,) and a maker of cars cut 

485 it down ivith a bright hatchet 3 , that he might bend it into 
the felloe of a wheel for a splendid car ; and it lies drying 
by the bank of the river — thus ' did the noble Ajax slay 
Simoeisius, the son of Anthemion. But at him (Ajax) did 
Antiphus, a son of Priam, in an ornamented corselet, in 

490 the ranks hurl his sharp javelin; missed him indeed, but 
wounded, upon the groin, Leucus, the brave comrade of 
Ulysses, as he was dragging the body to the other side ; 
and he fell upon it, and the body dropped from his hand. 



5 Became visible outside of the shield — were exposed. 

6 To him stooping. 7 '%. e . killed him. 

8 An obstinate combat. 

9 The support — the care they had bestowed in bringing him up. 

1 Coming. 2 Moist place. 3 Iron. 

4 Such an one — like this — similar to this. 



ILIAD IV.— V. 495—522. 91 

Then Ulysses was much enraged in his mind on account of 495 
the slain \ and advanced among the foremost combatants, 
armed in glittering brass, and coming very near he stopped, 
and, looking all around him, threw his shining spear ; and 
the Trojans fell back as the hero was hurling his spear 6 . 
And he sent not the weapon in vain, but struck Democoon, 
a bastard son of Priam, who came to him from Abydus, 500 
from keeping the fleet mares. Him, I say, Ulysses, en- 
raged on account of his comrade, struck with the spear 
upon the temple; and the brazen point passed through 
the other temple, and darkness covered his eyes ; and fall- 
ing he made a crash, and his arms rang upon him. Then 505 
the foremost fighters and the illustrious Hector gave way ; 
and the Argives loudly shouted, and dragged away the 
dead, and pushed on much farther. And Apollo, looking 
down from the citadel 7 of Troy, was indignant, and shout- 
ing, exhorted the Trojans : 

"Rush on, Trojans, tamers of horses, nor yield the 
battle to the Argives, for their bodies are not stone nor 510 
iron to resist the flesh-cutting brass, when they are struck 8 ; 
and besides, Achilles, son of the fair-haired Thetis, is not 
fighting, but nursing his bitter resentment at the ships/ 5 

Thus spake the terrible god from the city ; and Minerva, 
daughter of Jove, the glorious Tritogeneia 9 , going through 515 
the army, stimulated the Achaeans, wherever she perceived 
them relaxing their efforts. 

Then fate crippled Diores, the son of Amarynceus, for 
he was struck upon the right leg near the ancle by a large 
rugged stone; and Peiros, the son of Imbrasus, leader of 520 
the Thracians, who had come from ^Enos, threw it. The 
two tendons and the bones the destructive 1 stone quite 



5 Him being slain. 6 The man casting his spear. 7 Pergamus. 

8 Since the flesh of (to) them struck is not stone or iron to resist the brass 
which cuts the body. 

9 As if sprung from the head of Jove, rpirov is said, traditionally, to 
have been the old Cretan word for head. 

1 Shameless— Virgil has mons improbus, /En. xii. 687- 



92 ILIAD IV.— V. 523—545. 

crushed ; and he fell supine in the dust, stretching out both 
hands to his loved comrades, as he breathed out his life. 
But Peiros, who had struck him, rushed upon him, and 

525 wounded him with his spear by the navel ; and then all 
the entrails gushed out upon the ground, and darkness 
covered his eyes. 

But him (Peiros) Thoas, the ^Etolian, rushing at him 2 , 
struck in the breast, above the pap, with his spear, and it 3 
stuck in his lungs. Then Thoas came close to him, and 

530 plucked the strong spear from his breast; and drew his 
sharp sword, with which he struck him in the middle of 
his belly, and deprived him of life. But he did not strip 
him fPeirosJ of his armour ; for his comrades stood round 
him, the Thracians with hair on the crown of their heads 4 , 
holding long spears in their hands, and drove him (Thoas), 

535 mighty, brave, and distinguished though he was, from 
them; and he, retiring, was repulsed. Thus these two 
leaders, the one of the Thracians, and the other of the 
brazen- mailed Epeans, were stretched beside each other in 
the dust ; and many others also were slain round them. 
There, would not any man, coming in, have found fault 

540 with the battle 5 , who was present 6 in the midst of it, still 
unhurt and unwounded with the sharp spear 7 , and Pallas 
Minerva, taking him by the hand, conducted him, and 
averted the aim of the weapons ; for many Trojans and 
Achaeans were that day stretched prone beside each other 
in the dust. 

2 Rushing on. 3 \oXkoq. 

4 aKpoKOfioi. They wore a lock of hair only on their head. Compare them 
with the Abantes, B. 542 ; and the Achaeans every where. 

5 Work. 6 Move about. 7 Brass. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER 



BOOK V. 



ARGUMENT. 



Dioraedes is extraordinarily distinguished. He kills Pandarus, who had 
violated the truce, and wounds first Venus and then Mars. 

There, in his turn, Pallas Minerva gave strength and 
courage to Diomedes, son of Tydeus, that he might be- 
come conspicuous among all the Argives, and obtain a 
good renown. She made unwearied fire blaze ' from his 
helm and his shield, like to an autumnal star, which shines 5 
with greatest splendour when washed by the ocean 2 . Such 
fire she caused to blaze from his head and shoulders 3 ; and 
she impelled him into the midst, where the tumult was 
greatest 4 . 

And among the Trojans, there was one Dares, wealthy, 
worthy, a priest of Vulcan ; and he had two sons, Phe- 
geus and Idaeus, well skilled in every kind of combat. 10 
These, separated from their friends 5 , rushed forward against 
Diomedes, the two in a car; whilst he on the ground ad- 



1 Or, blazed from his helm and shield an unwearied fire. 

2 i. e. at its rising. 

3 Shield and corselet. 

* Where most — the greatest number were in conflict. 

i. e. having outstripped them — advanced beyond the lines. 



94 ILIAD V.— V. 14—44. 

vanced on foot 6 . And when now they were coming almost 

15 close one to another, Phegeus first discharged his long 
spear, and the point of the spear went over the left shoulder 
of the son of Tydeus, and wounded him not. And next the 
son of Tydeus launched his spear 7 , and the weapon flew 
not from his hand in vain ; but struck him (Phegeus) upon 
the breast, between the paps, and hurled him from his car 8 . 

20 And Idaeus leaped down, quitting the splendid car, but 
ventured not to protect his slaughtered brother 9 . Nor 
would he himself have escaped black fate, had not Vulcan 
snatched him away, and covering him in cloud *, saved 
him, that his aged father 2 might not be altogether deso- 

25 late. And the son of brave Tydeus, leading off the horses, 
gave them to his comrades, to take down to the hollow 
ships. And the brave Trojans, when they beheld the two 
sons of Dares, the one flying, and the other slain beside 
his car, the minds of all were shaken. And blue-eyed 

30 Minerva taking impetuous Mars by the hand, addressed 
him in words : 

" Mars, man-plaguing, blood-stained, wall-storming 
Mars, shall we not now leave the Trojans and Achaeans to 
fight it out — to whichever father Jove may give glory- — 

35 and we withdraw, and avoid the anger of Jove ?" 

Thus having spoken, she led impetuous Mars from the 
battle. Then she placed him beside the high-banked 
Scamander ; and the Danaans repulsed the Trojans, and 
each of the leaders slew his man. And first Agamemnon, 
king of men, struck from his car the mighty Hodius, chief 

40 of the Halizonians ; for into his back, first, between the 
shoulders, while turning 3 to flight, he thrust the spear, 
and drove it through his breast. And falling, he made a 
crash, and his armour rattled upon him. 

And Idomeneus, next, slew Phaestus, the son of Borus, 

6 The two from horses, and he from the ground, excited the battle on foot. 

7 Attacked with brass. 8 The horses. 
9 i. e. his dead body. 1 Night. 

2 o\ yzpuv — the old to him. 3 For to him first turning. 



ILIAD V.— V. 45—72. 95 

the Nf soman, who had come from fruitful Tarne. Him 45 
noble i Idomeneus wounded in the right shoulder with his 
long spear, as he was just mounting his car; and he fell 
from the car, and horrible darkness seized him. K[im then 
the attendants of Idomeneus plundered. 

And Scamandrius, son of Strophius, skilful in hunting, 
Menelaus, son of Atreus, slew with his sharp spear — a 50 
good hunter, for Diana herself taught him to shoot all 
wild things, which the forest on the mountains feeds 5 . 
But Diana, delighting in arrows, then helped him not, nor 
his skill 6 in shooting, for which he had been before so 
distinguished ; for the son of Atreus, Menelaus, skilled in 55 
the spear, wounded him, as he fled before him, in the 
back, between the shoulders, with his spear, and drove it 
through his breast. And he fell prone, and his armour 
rattled upon him. 

And Meriones slew Phereclus, the son of the artist Har- 
monides, who understood how to make with his hands all 60 
works of art; for Pallas Minerva especially loved him. 
He had also built for Alexander the equal ships — the 
sources of evil, — which were a mischief to all the Trojans, 
as well as to himself; for he did not understand the ora- 
cles 7 of the gods. Him, Meriones, when at last, pur- 65 
suing, he overtook him, wounded upon the right buttock ; 
and the spear went right through by the bladder, under 
the bone; and shrieking, he sunk upon his knees, and 
death covered him round. 

And next Meges slew Pedaeus, a son of Antenor, who 
indeed was a bastard, but the noble Theano, to oblige s her 70 
husband, carefully nourished him, the same as her own 
beloved children. Him the son of Phyleus 9 , skilful in 



4 Distinguished for the spear. 

5 All wild animals — ra re, those which the forest on the mountains feeds. 

6 The far-dartings — the long-shots. 

7 Those by which the Trojans were said to have been commanded to 
abstain from maritime concerns. 

8 Obliging. 9 Meges. 



96 ILIAD V.— V. 73—103. 

the spear, coming near, struck upon the back of the head 
with his sharp spear ; and the spear cut quite through the 
teeth, below the tongue. And he fell in the dust, and 

75 seized the cold brass with his teeth. 

And Eurypylus, son of Evaemon, slew the noble Hypse- 
nor, son of brave Dolopion — he who was a priest of Sca- 
mander, and who was honoured by the people like a god. 
Him, then, as he was flying before him, Eurypylus, the 
illustrious son of Evaemon, wounded upon the shoulder, 

80 striking at him with l his sword, while he was running ; 
and cut off his heavy hand. And the hand fell bloody 
upon the plain, whilst purple death and powerful fate 
seized his eyes. 

Thus did they toil in vigorous battle ; but as for the 

85 son of Tydeus, you would not have known to which party 
he belonged, whether he was connected with the Trojans 
or with the Achaeans ; for he rushed along the plain like a 
swollen winter-torrent, which, flowing rapidly, overturns 
bridges ; and neither do strong bridges restrain it, nor 

90 even the embankments of flourishing fields check it, com- 
ing suddenly, when the rain of Jove has fallen with 
violence ; and many fair works 2 of stout 3 labourers are 
overthrown by it. So were the dense phalanxes of the 
Trojans thrown into confusion by Tydides, nor did they 
await his onset, numerous though they were *. 

95 But when the illustrious son of Lycaon marked him 
rushing along the plain, and routing the phalanxes before 
him ; forthwith he directed his bent bow against the son 
of Tydeus, and hit him whilst rushing on, striking the 
cavity of the corselet at the right shoulder ; and the dire 
100 arrow flew through, and came forth at the other side, and 
his corselet was stained with blood. At this the illustrious 
son of Lycaon shouted loud: "Push on, brave Trojans, 
prickers of horses 5 , for the bravest of the Achaeans is 

1 Making an attack with. 2 i. e. cultivated fields — crops. 

3 aiZ,rn>jv — young, sturdy. 4 Being numerous. 

5 Goaders of horses — ictvropeg 'nrwuv — equivalent to 7r\t]^i7nroi. 



ILIAD V. — V. 103 — 129. 97 

stricken ; nor do I think he will long endure the forceful 
arrow, if the king, the son of Jove 5 , indeed incited me, 
when I set out from Lycia." 105 

Thus he spake, boasting ; but him (Diomedes) the swift 
arrow did not kill ; for retreating, he stood before his 
horses and car, and addressed Sthenelus, the son of 
Capaneus : 

" Make haste, good son of Capaneus, alight from the 
car, that thou mayst draw this bitter arrow from my HO 
shoulder/' 

Thus he spake ; and Sthenelus leaped down from the 
car to the ground, and standing beside him, drew from his 
shoulder the swift arrow completely, and the blood spouted 
forth through the twisted tunic s . Then brave Diomedes 
prayed: 

"Hear me, offspring of aegis-bearing Jove, invincible, H^ 
If ever with kind intent 7 thou stoodest by me, and by my 
father, in glowing battle, now again befriend me, O 
Minerva ; and give me to overtake that man, and to come 
within spear's cast 8 of him, who, being beforehand with 
me, has hit me, and boasts, and says that I shall not long 1*0 
behold the splendid light of the sun/' 

Thus he spake praying ; and Pallas Minerva heard him ; 
for she made his limbs light, his feet, and his hands 
above 9 ; and standing near him, she uttered these winged 
words : 

u Fight boldly l now, Diomedes, against the Trojans ; for 
I have put into thy breast paternal vigour, intrepid, such 1*5 
as Tydeus, the shield-shaking chief, possessed. And I 
have likewise removed from thine eyes the mist, which 
before was upon them, that thou mayst well know both a 
god and a man. Therefore now, if a god come hither to 

5 Apollo. 6 i. e . of chain-mail, perhaps. 

7 Thinking friendly thoughts. 

8 The casting of a spear — the violence of a spear. 

9 Ahove — as below is understood with " feet." 
1 Taking courage, fight, &c. 

H 



98 ILIAD V.— V. 130—157. 

130 attack 2 thee, fight not thou against other immortal gods, 
but if Venus, the daughter of Jove, come into the battle, 
her, at least, strike with thy sharp lance." 

The blue-eyed Minerva then, having thus spoken, de- 
parted. And Tydides, again advancing, was mixed with 
the foremost combatants. And, although before eager in 

135 his soul to fight with the Trojans, then indeed three times 
as much vigour seized him, like a Hon — like one 3 which 
a shepherd in the field with his fleecy flocks has wounded, 
while leaping over the fold, and not killed ; — its fury rather 
has he roused, and then no longer resists it, but escapes 

140 into the huts, and the deserted things take alarm, and 

huddling together, they crowd on one another; and he 

(the lion) springs fiercely out of the deep fold 4 . Thus fiercely 

was the gallant Diomedes mixed with the Trojans. 

' There he slew Astynoiis and Hypeinor, shepherd of the 

145 people — wounding the one above the pap with his brazen 
spear, and the other he struck with his huge sword upon 
the shoulder, near the collar-bone, and cut off the shoulder 
from the neck, and from the back. These he quitted, and 
went after Abas and Polyeidus, sons of Eurydamas, an 
aged interpreter of dreams. For them, when they de- 

150 parted for the war, the old man did not interpret his 
dreams 5 ; and the brave Diomedes stript them of their 
armour 6 . Then he pursued Xanthus and Thoon, the two 
sons of Phaenops, his only ones 7 ; for he was worn out 
with miserable old age, and had no other son to leave his 

155 possessions to 8 . These then he (Diomedes) slew, and took 
away their life from both ; and left to their father weeping 
and lamentable cares, because he received them not return- 

2 Trying — i. e. attacking. 

3 bv pa. 4 i. e. of course with a lamb or sheep in his mouth. 

5 sicpivaTo — middle — the dreams were his own apparently — i. e. he was 
one who had the faculty of foreseeing or divining events by dreams ; and on 
this occasion neglected to make use of it. 

6 i. e. of course, after killing them. 

7 rrikvytTO). See T. 175. 

s He was the father of no other son, over his possessions to be left. 



' ILIAD V.— V. 158—183. 99 

ing alive from the battle; and strangers 9 divided his 
wealth. 

Then Diomedes seized two sons of Priam, son of Dar- 
danus, being both in one car, Echemon and Chromius ; 160 
and as a lion, springing among cattle, breaks the neck of 
a heifer or an ox, while grazing in the woods ; so did the 
son of Tydeus hurl both of them, grievously against their 
will, from their car, and then stript them of their armour ; 165 
whilst the car he gave to his comrades, to drive to the 
ships. 

And ^Eneas beheld him thinning the ranks of men, and 
he hastened through the battle, and through the clash of 
spears, seeking the godlike Pandarus, if he could any where 
find him. He found the good and brave son of Lycaon, 
and stood in front of him, and addressed these words to 170 
him: 

i£ Pandarus, where are ' thy bow, thy feathered arrows, 
and thy glory, in which (the bow) no man here contends 
with thee, nor boasts any one in Lycia to be superior to 
thee ? Come then, lift up thy hands to Jove, and send 2 an 
arrow at that man — whoever he may be, who is thus master 175 
of the field, and has already done so many evil deeds to 
the Trojans ; for he has relaxed the limbs of many and 
brave warriors — unless he is some god, displeased with the 
Trojans, and offended at some neglect of sacrifices ; and the 
anger of a god is terrible." 

And to him, in reply, the illustrious son of Lycaon said : 
iC ^Eneas, counsellor of the brazen-mailed Trojans, I think 180 
him in all respects like brave Tydides, judging by the 
shield and crested helm, and looking at his horses ; and I 
do not clearly know whether it is a god 3 . But if he be 

9 xqpcjaTai, those who filled up the vacuum left by the death of children, 
and who might or might not be connected by blood or affinity : not heirs at 
laic in the modern sense, but whoever succeeded to the property were the 
XVpojcTai. AtaSareovTO. 

1 i. e. what has become of ? 3 Lifting up — send, &c. 

3 i. e. I think it is Diomedes, and not a god ; but if he be not a god, he 
has certainly a god with him, &c. 

H 2 



s iOO v ILIAD V.— V. 184—214. 

the man, whom I think him to be; the warlike son of 

185 Tydeus, he rages not thus without a god, but some one of 
the immortals stands near him, who, with his shoulders 4 
wrapt in cloud, turns away from him, in another direction, 
the swift- flying arrow ; for already have I discharged an 
arrow at him, and struck him upon the right shoulder, 
through the hollow of his corselet ; and I thought I had 

190 dismissed him to Hades, but after all I did not kill him 
— some god is angry \ And I have no horses with me, 
nor car, which I might mount; though in the halls of 
Lycaon there are eleven beautiful cars, in a perfect state 6 , 
and newly made, and coverings hang round them ; and 

195 beside each of them stand a couple of horses 7 , eating white 
barley and rye. To be sure the aged warrior Lycaon, in 
his well-built mansion, enjoined me very much when set- 
ting out, and bade me lead the Trojans 8 into hard battles, 

200 mounted upon my horses and car ; but I obeyed not — 
certainly it would have been better if I had — fearing for 
my horses, lest, being accustomed to feed liberally, they 
might be in want of food, among men shut up in a 
town. So I left them ; and came on foot to Ilium, trust- 

205 ing to my bow, which however was not to be of service to 
me. For already have I shot at two chiefs, the son of 
Tydeus, and the son of Atreus, and from both have I, 
striking them, drawn blood manifestly ; but I have only 
the more inflamed them. With bad luck therefore did I 

210 take the bent bow from the peg, on that day when I led 
Trojans to lovely Ilium, to oblige the noble Hector. But 
if ever I shall return, and behold with my eyes my native 
land, and my w T ife, and my large and lofty mansion ; then 
may forthwith some foreigner 9 cut off my head ' if I put 

* As to his shoulders — about his shoulders. 
8 i. e. with himself, Pandarus means. 

6 First made — i. e. just as they were first built. 

7 SiZvyot L7r7roi — horses trained to go in pairs. 

8 He was a Trojan. Zeleia was at the foot of Ida, and under the dominion 
of the Trojans. 9 A foreign man. 

y Cut from me mv head. 



ILIAD V.— V. 215—246. 101 

not this bow into the bright fire, first breaking it with my 915 
hands; for I have brought it with me to no purpose 2 ." . t 

And ^Eneas, leader of the Trojans, again addressed 
him : " Talk not so — it will not be otherwise 3 , till thou 
and I, with horses and car, going in arms against this 220 
man, attack him. Come, then, ascend my car, that thou 
mayst see what Trojan horses are — how well along the 
plain they can rapidly pursue, or retreat, in any direc- 
tion. They will carry us, too, in safety to the city, if 
Jove yet again bestow glory upon Diomedes, the son 225 
of Tydeus. Come, then, take the whip and the beautiful 
reins, and I will alight from the car to fight ; or do thou 
encounter him, and the horses shall be my care." 

And to him, in reply, the illustrious son of Lycaon said : 
u iEneas, do thou thyself keep the reins, and thine own 230 
horses — they will bear the curved car better under their 
wonted 4 driver, if again we must fly from the son of 
Tydeus — lest, becoming frightened, they grow restive, and 
not choose to bear us out of the battle, requiring thy voice ; 
and the son of brave Tydeus, pressing hard upon us, 235 
kill ourselves, and drive away the solid-hoofed horses. 
Drive thou therefore thine own car and thine own horses, 
and I will encounter him, advancing with the sharp 
spear." 

Thus then having spoken — mounting the variegated 
car, they drove the swift horses at full speed towards 240 
Tydides. And Sthenelus, the noble son of Capaneus, 
saw them, and immediately addressed these winged words 
to Tydides : 

" Diomedes, son of Tydeus, my dear friend 5 , I see 
two gallant men, of immense strength, coming in haste 245 
to fight with thee; the one is Pandarus, well skilled 

2 It accompanied me in vain. 

3 i. e. the fortune of the battle will not change. 

4 Accustomed to drive them. 

5 Dear, or endeared to my soul, or feelings. 



102 ILIAD V.— V. 247—275. 

in archery, and claims 6 to be the son of Lycaon; and 
the other, ^Eneas, claims to have been born the son of 
the noble Anchises, and his mother is Venus. Come, 
then, let us now retire 7 in the car ; and do not thou thus 

250 rage among the foremost combatants, lest thou lose thy 
life*" 

But stout Diomedes, looking sternly at him, said : 
"Talk not of flight 8 , for I think thou wilt not persuade 
me ; for it would not become my birth 9 to flinch from 
fighting, or to be afraid; my strength is still entire. I 

255 am not disposed to mount my car ; but even in this way * 
will I go against them, for Pallas Minerva allows me not 
to tremble. And both these their swift horses shall not 
carry back again from us, if even one escapes. But I tell 

260 thee another thing, and do thou fix it in thy mind : if the 
all-wise Minerva grant me the glory to kill both, then do 
thou fasten here these fleet horses, tying the reins to the 
car 2 ; and mindful of the horses of ^Eneas, rush upon 
them, and drive them away from the Trojans to the well- 

265 armed Achasans ; for they are of that breed, which Jove 
the Thunderer gave to Tros, as the price of his son 
Ganymede ; wherefore they are the best of horses, as 
many as are under the morning and the sun. Anchises, 
king of men, stole the breed, getting mares covered by 

270 them 3 without the knowledge of Laomedon ; from them 
were born to him in the palace six foals of that stock. 
Four he keeps himself, and takes great care of them 
in the stables, and these two, trained for war 4 , he gave 
to JEneas ; if we can take them, we shall gain great glory." 
Such things thus they spake to each other ; and the two 

6 evxerai — not boasts, but asserts of himself, or claims justly. He has the 
honour to be — will apparently express the full meaning of the term. 

7 i. e. to the lines. 8 To flight — i. e. to turn me to flight. 
9 yivvaiov. l i. e. on foot. 

2 avrvZ, — the front of the car, to which the reins were fastened for the 
purpose of keeping the horses from moving. 

3 Putting female horses under. 4 i. e. to make the enemy fly. 



ILIAD V.— V. 275—306. 103 

Trojans speedily came near, driving their swift horses. The 275 
illustrious son of Lycaon first addressed him : 

"Well, bold, brave son of noble Tydeus, the swift 
weapon did not subdue thee — the bitter arrow ; but now I 
will try with my spear if I can succeed." 

He said, and shaking his long spear, hurled it, and 280 
struck the shield of Tydides ; and right through it the 
brazen point flying, reached 5 the corselet. And at him 
the noble son of Lycaon shouted aloud : 

" Thou art wounded quite through the body 6 , nor do I 
think that thou wilt long endure it ; and great glory hast 285 
thou given to me/' 

But the brave Diomedes, unalarmed, replied : K Thou 
hast missed thy mark, and not hit it ; and I suppose ye 
two will not be quiet, till one at least, falling, shall with 
his blood satiate Mars, the indomitable warrior." 

Thus saying, he threw, and Minerva guided the weapon 290 
to the nose, near the eye, and it w r ent through the white 
teeth ; and the cold spear cut away the extremity of the 
tongue 7 , and the point came out at the lowest part of the 
chin 8 . And he fell from the car, and his variegated, 295 
glittering armour rang over him; and the swift-footed 
horses were startled ; and his life and strength were there 
destroyed 9 . Then iEneas sprang from his car with his 
shield and long spear, fearing lest the Achaeans should 
drag away the body ; and around it then he strode like a 
lion, trusting in his might ; and he held before him his 300 
spear and his round shield, eager to kill the man who 
should come against him, horribly shouting. But Tydides 
seized in his hand a stone, a mighty mass \ which not even 
two men could bear, such as men now are ; but he, even 
alone, brandished it easily. With this he struck the hip of 305 
^Eneas, where the thigh turns in the hip — and they call it 

5 Was brought close to. 6 Belly. 

7 The extreme tongue — i. e. at the root of it. 

8 At the last chin. 

9 Loosened. i A mighty thing. 



104 ILIAD V.— V. 307—335. 

also the cotyle (the socket) — and crushed the socket, and 
burst both the tendons. The rough stone tore off the 
skin; and the hero stood, dropping upon his knees, and 

310 leant with his strong hand upon the ground ; and dark 
night covered his eyes. 

And now ^Eneas, king of men, would have perished 
there, unless Venus, the daughter of Jove, had speedily 
perceived it, his mother who bore him to Anchises, feeder 
of cattle ; and she threw her white arms round her own 

315 loved son, and she covered 2 him with a fold 3 of her shin- 
ing veil, to be a defence against weapons, lest any of the 
fleet Danaans, throwing a spear in his breast, should take 
away his life. And she bore away her beloved son from 
the battle. 

Nor was the son of Capaneus forgetful of the injunc- 

320 tions, which the gallant Diomedes had given ; for he con- 
fined his own solid-hoofed horses, apart from the tumult, 
fastening the reins to the car, and rushing upon the beau- 
tiful horses of iEneas, drove them from the Trojans to- 

325 wards the well-armed Achaeans ; and gave them to Deipylus, 
his loved comrade, whom he honoured above all of his own 
age, because he was of the same sentiments with himself 4 , 
to drive to the hollow ships. But the hero himself, mount- 
ing his own car, seized the beautiful reins, and instantly 
drove the strong-hoofed horses with eagerness towards 
Tydides. 

330 And he (Diomedes) chased after Venus with his cruel 
spear, knowing that she was an unwarlike goddess, and 
not one of those deities who rule the battle of heroes, nei- 
ther, that is, Minerva, nor Bellona, destroyer of cities. 
And when at length he came up with her, through the 
crowded ranks, then the son of brave Tydeus, stretching 

335 forward his spear, and springing after her, struck her soft 3 



2 Made a fold of her veil to cover him in front — she interposed her veil. 

3 7TTvy[ia — what at other times folded round herself. 

4 Knew things congruous or congenial with him (Sthenelus). 

5 Feeble. 



ILIAD V.— V. 336 — 3G5. 105 

hand 6 with the sharp brass ; and the spear at once pierced 
the skin, through the ambrosial veil, which the Graces 
themselves had made, above the extremity of the palm, 
and the immortal blood of the Goddess flowed — ichor, such 340 
as flows from the blessed Gods ; for they eat no food, nor 
drink purple wine, and on that account are bloodless, and 
are called immortal. And she, shrieking aloud, cast from 
her her son. and Phoebus Apollo snatched him away in his 
hands in a dark cloud, lest any of the fleet Danaans, throw- 345 
ing a spear into his bosom, should take away his life. And 
the brave Diomedes loudly shouted after her : 

" Retire, daughter of Jove, from the war and the battle. 
Is it not enough that thou deludest feeble women? But 
if ever thou shalt go into battle again, I surely think 350 
thou wilt shudder at battle, if thou but hearest of it else- 
where 7 ." 

Thus he spake, and she departed in distress, for she was 
grievously tortured. And then swift Iris 8 , laying hold of 
her, led her from the throng, oppressed with pain; and 
her fair skin grew black. Then she found impetuous Mars 355 
sitting on the left of the battle, and his spear reclined on a 
cloud, and his fleet horses; and falling upon her knees, 
she requested, with many entreaties 9 , the golden-harnessed 
horses of her beloved brother : 

a Save x me, my dear brother, and give me thy horses, 
that I may repair to Olympus, where is the seat of the 35Q 
immortals. Much am I in pain with a wound which a 
mortal man has given me 2 — the son of Tydeus, who now 
would fight even with father Jove." 

Thus she spake, and Mars of course gave her the golden- 
harnessed horses. And she ascended into the car, grieved 
in her heart, and Iris mounted beside her, and took the 3(55 

6 Wounded her extreme hand — i. e. %ap tin icap-jry, as in line 458, — the 
wrist 

7 Diomedes seems to threaten a severer hlow, if he ever catches her in 
hattle again — such as shall make her dread the very name of hattle. 

8 With feet of wind. 9 Entreating many things. 
1 Take me — or take care of me. 2 Has wounded me. 



106 ILIAD V.— V. 366—394. 

reins in her hands ; and she flogged the horses to proceed, 
and they not unwilling flew : and speedily then they reached 
the seat of the Gods, the lofty Olympus. There Iris, wind- 
footed, stopped the horses, loosing them from the car, and 

370 threw before them ambrosial food. But the lovely Venus 
sank upon the knees of Dione, her mother ; and she em- 
braced her daughter in her arms, caressed her with her 
hand, and spake and said 3 : 

" Which of the celestials, dear child, has done such things 
to you, wantonly, as if thou wert one that ever did aught 
wrong flagrantly 4 ? w 

375 Her then the laughter-loving Venus answered : Ci The 
son of Tydeus, insolent Diomedes, has wounded me, be- 
cause I bore my loved son from the battle, ^Eneas, who is 
far the dearest of all to me. For it is no longer a dire con- 
test of Trojans and Achaeans, but the Danaans now at last 

380 fight even with the immortals/ 5 

Then Dione, distinguished among goddesses, replied : 
" Bear it patiently, my child, and endure, grieved although 
thou be ; for many of us, who occupy the mansions of 
Olympus, bear much from men, and bring 5 many severe 

385 distresses upon each other. Mars bore it, when Otus 
and powerful Ephialtes, sons of Aloeus, bound him with 
a strong chain ; and in a brazen prison he lay bound for 
thirteen months. And perhaps there would Mars, insatiable 
of war 6 , have perished, unless their mother-in-law, the 

390 beautiful Eriboea 7 , had told it to Mercury ; and he stole 
away Mars, now exhausted, for the hard chain had broken 
him down. And Juno likewise bore it, when the powerful 
son of Amphytrion wounded her upon the right breast, 
with a triple-pointed arrow — then even her intolerable 
pain seized. Among these 8 also the mighty Pluto endured 



3 See T. 398. 4 tvuiry — in the sight or presence of others. 

5 Bringing. 6 Fighting eternally — never weary. 

7 i. e. the wife of Aloeus— instigated by hatred for her husband's children, 
Otus and Ephialtes, by Iphimedia. Apollod. I. 7- 4. 

8 Gods who had suffered from mortals. 



ILIAD V.— V. 305—424. 107 

a swift arrow, when the same man 9 , the son of the regis- 395 
bearing Jove, put him to pain, by w r ounding him at the 
gate, among the shades \ And he went to the mansion 
of Jove and the lofty Olympus, grieving in his heart, and 
pierced through with pain, for the arrow had been driven 
into his brawny shoulder, and afflicted his soul. And Paeon, 400 
sprinkling upon him some soothing medicines, cured him, 
for he was not in any respect mortal. Audacious, violent 
wretch is Diomedes, who cares not about doing impious 
deeds, who pains wdth his arrows the Gods who possess 
Olympus. But blue-eyed goddess Minerva incited him 405 
against thee. Foolish is the son of Tydeus, nor knows 
this in his mind, that not very long-lived is he who fights 
with the immortals, nor do his children upon his knees 
ever call him father 2 , returning from war and direful bat- 
tle. Let the son of Tydeus therefore, very brave although 410 
he be, now reflect, lest a mightier than thou fight with 
him ; lest iEgialeia, the virtuous daughter of Adrastus, 
the noble spouse of Diomedes, tamer of horses, soon 
rouse her domestics from their sleep, with her lamenta- 
tions 3 , grieving for her wedded i husband, the bravest of 415 
the Achaeans." 

She said, and from her hand with both her own, wiped 
aw r ay the ichor. The hand w r as healed, and the severe pains 
assuaged. But Minerva, and Juno, meanwhile, looking on, 
provoked Jove, the son of Saturn, wdth sarcastic words ; 420 
and among them 5 the blue-eyed Goddess Minerva, began 
these words : 

u Wilt thou be angry with me, father Jove, at what I 
may say ? Surely now Venus, whilst stimulating some one 
of the Achaean ladies to follow the Trojans, whom at pre- 
sent she violently loves — caressing some one of these fair- 

9 Hercules. 

1 Dead bodies. Unless Pylus be taken for the name of the country of 
old Xeleus ; and then the word here turned by sJiades, will stand for the 
corpses on the battle-field. 

2 Pappa him — or lisp pappa. 3 Lamenting. 

4 KovpictoQ. 5 roici — the gods. 



108 ILIAD V.— V. 425—457. 

425 veiled Achaean ladies, has scratched her soft hand with a 
golden clasp ." 

Thus she spake ; and the father of gods and men smiled, 
and calling golden Venus to him addressed her : 

" Not to thee, dear child, are given the works of 

430 war— but do thou attend to the fond works of wedlock. 
These things will all be the care of swift Mars and of 
Minerva." 

Such things thus they talked with one another. Mean- 
while the gallant Diomedes pressed after JSneas, though 
knowing that Apollo himself held his hands over him; 

435 but in truth not the mighty god did he respect, and ever 
desired to slay ^Eneas, and to strip off his bright armour. 
Three times then he rushed on, eager to kill him, and three 
times Apollo repulsed his shining shield ; but when he at- 
tacked even the fourth time, like a god, the far-darting 
Apollo, sharply reproving 6 him said : 

440 Ci Think, son of Tydeus, and retire, nor desire to 
equal thyself with gods 7 ; for the race of immortal gods, 
and of men, who walk upon the earth, is not the same." 
Thus he spake, and Ty dides shrank back a little, avoid- 

445 ing the wrath of the far-darting Apollo. And Apollo 
placed iEneas apart from the throng, in sacred Pergamus, 
where was his own temple 8 . Then, in the large shrine 9 , 
Latona and the arrow-loving Diana cured him, and did 
him honour. And Apollo, of the silver bow, made an 

450 image resembling ^Eneas himself, and the same as to arms; 
and then round the image the Trojans and noble Achaeans 
hacked the well-circled bull's hide shields and light targes 
upon each other's breasts. Then Phoebus Apollo addressed 
impetuous Mars : 

455 " Mars, man-plaguing, blood-stained, wall- storming 
Mars, wilt thou not, interfering, drive this man, Tydides, 
from the battle, who would now fight even with father 

6 Reproving terrible things. 

7 Nor desire to meditate equal things with the gods. 
s Where a temple was to him. 9 advTo t ). 



ILIAD V.— V. 458—489. 109 

Jove ? For first, close to her, he wounded Venus, upon 
the hand, near the -wrist, and next, like a god, he assaulted 
me." 

Thus saying he himself sat down upon the top of Per- 460 
gamus ; and destructive Mars urged on the ranks of Tro- 
jans, going among them in the likeness of Acamas, the 
swift leader of the Thracians, and he encouraged the hea- 
ven-protected sons of Priam : 

" O sons of Priam, heaven-protected king, how long 
will ye permit the people to be slaughtered by the 465 
Achaeans ? Until they fight at the well-made gates ? 
A hero 1 is fallen, whom we honour equal to the noble 
Hector, iEneas, the son of noble Anchises. Come on, 
then, let us rescue our brave comrade from the tumult/' 

Thus saying, he excited the strength and courage of 470 
each. Then, again, Sarpedon sharply reproved the noble 
Hector : 

" Hector, where is gone the might, which thou didst 
formerly possess ? Once thou saidst, that thou wouldst, 
without troops or allies, defend the city — alone, with thy 475 
relations and thy brothers. But not one of them can I 
now see, or perceive ; but they slink away like dogs before 
a lion, whilst we, on the contrary, who are here as your 
allies, are fighting. For I also, being an ally, come from 
a very great distance ; for Lycia is far off, by the deep 
Xanthus, where I left my loved wife and infant son, and 480 
many possessions, which he, who has not, longs for. But 
even thus 2 do I exhort the Lycians, and am myself ready 
to fight with a warrior, although I have nothing here for 
the Achaeans to take or carry off. Thou meanwhile stand- 485 
est unconcerned, nor biddest thy other forces be firm and 
defend their wives. Beware, lest ye, caught 3 as in the 
meshes of a drag-net, become a capture and a prize to hos- 
tile men, and they soon destroy your well-inhabited city. 



1 Lies. 2 i. e. under these circumstances. 

:i dXovTt — dual — Hector and his troops. 



110 ILIAD V.— V. 490—514. 

490 For these are all matters which it becomes thee to attend 
to night and day, supplicating the chiefs of the far-sum- 
moned allies, perseveringly to resist the foe, and abstaining 
from bullying threats 4 ." 

Thus spake Sarpedon, and the speech stung the soul of 
Hector; and instantly he leaped with his arms from 

495 his car to the ground, and brandishing long spears, he 
went through the army on all sides, exhorting them 
to fight, and woke up the dire battle. And they were 
turned from flight, and again faced 5 the Achasans ; and 
the Argives, in a body, sustained them, and were not 
afraid. 

And as the wind sweeps off the chaff in the sacred 6 

500 arenas 7 , when men are winnowing, what time yellow Ceres 
separates the chaff from the corn, by means of the winds 
coming upon it ; and the neighbourhood whitens around ; 
so were the Achaean s then white above 8 with dust — that 9 
which among them (Achceans) the feet of horses (of the 
Trojans), when they renewed the combat, threw up to the 

505 brazen 1 heaven ; for the drivers wheeled round, and they 
bore the strength of hands 2 right on. And impetuous 
Mars, raging on every side, bringing aid to the Trojans, 
shed darkness round the battle ; and fulfilled the injunc- 
tions of Phoebus of the golden sword, who bade him stimu- 

510 late the courage of the Trojans, when he saw Pallas 
Minerva depart. For she was an auxiliary of the Da- 
naans 3 . And he himself sent ^Eneas from his own very 
rich shrine, and put vigour into the breast of the shepherd 
of the people. 



4 And to renounce bullying threats — the construction thus directs the 
censure against the allies, while Hector is plainly the object. The sense 
contrasts with Xiavofitvy — similar changes of construction are not unfre- 
quent. 

5 Stand in front. 6 As sacred to Ceres. 

7 Cleared spots in corn-fields — for winnowing. 

8 i. e. on the surface. 9 6v pa. 

1 With much brass. 2 i. e. the Trojans towards the Achceans. 

3 For she was to the Danaans a helper. 

12 



ILIAD V.— V. 514—544. Ill 

And ^Eneas stood among his comrades ; and they were 
delighted when they saw him alive, and advancing unhurt, 515 
and possessing his strength entire; and they asked no 
question at all, for other toil suffered not, which he of the 
silver bow excited, and Mars, destroyer of men, and Dis- 
cord insatiably raging. 

But the two Ajaxes, and Ulysses, and Diomedes, urged 
the Danaans to fight ; nor did they themselves dread the 520 
strength of the Trojans nor their shouts, but stood firm like 
clouds, which the son of Saturn, in calm weather, places on 
the tops of mountains, at rest, when sleeps the force of the 
north, and of other impetuous winds, which, blowing, dis- 525 
perse the dusky clouds with their loud blasts. Thus 
the Danaans firmly awaited the Trojans, and feared not. 
And Atrides ranged through the army, encouraging them 
much: 

(i My friends, be men, and take a stout heart, and 
respect each other * in hard battles. More of those who 530 
thus respect each other are saved than are slain ; but 
where men fly, there neither rises glory, nor any aid 5 ." 

He said, and impetuously hurled his spear, and struck 
a chief warrior, a comrade of the brave iEneas, Deicoon, 535 
son of Pergasus, whom the Trojans honoured equally 
with the sons of Priam, for he was active in fighting 
among the foremost. Him, then, on his shield, king 
Agamemnon struck with his spear; and it resisted not 
the spear, but the spear passed quite through it, and 
drove into the lower part of the belly, through the belt ; 540 
and falling he made a crash, and his armour rattled upon 
him. 

Then, again, JEneas slew the two sons of Diocles, Cre- 
thon and Orsilochus, bravest men of the Danaans 6 . Their 
father dwelt in well-built Phera, rich in possessions, and 



4 Be ashamed of each other — i. e. be ashamed of incurring the contempt 
of your comrades — vie with each other — emulate -fight. 

5 i. e. they neither gain glory for themselves, nor furnish help to others. 
c t. e. two of the bravest. 



112 ILIAD V.— V. 545—576. 

545 his race was of the river Alpheius, which flows in a broad 
stream through the land of the Pylians, — which begat 
Orsilochus, the king of many men ; and Orsilochus again 
begat the brave Diodes; and from Diodes sprang twin 
sons, Crethon and Orsilochus, well skilled in every kind of 

550 combat. These, then, in the vigour of youth, accompanied 
the Argives in black ships to Ilium, famed for good horses, 
to take revenge for the sons of Atreus, Agamemnon and 
Menelaus, and there they died 7 . As two lions which grew 

555 up under their dam upon the summit of a mountain, in the 
recesses of a deep wood ; and then, carrying off oxen and 
fat sheep, lay waste the enclosures of men, until they are 
themselves slain with sharp spears by the hands of men — 

560 such fell these two, subdued by the hands of ^Eneas, like 
lofty pines. 

And the gallant Menelaus pitied the fallen 8 , and, armed 
in glittering brass, he advanced among the foremost 
fighters, brandishing his spear : and Mars excited his 
courage, thinking this, that he would be killed by the 
hands of ^Eneas. 

565 But him Antilochus, the son of noble Nestor, perceived, 
and he advanced through the foremost combatants, for he 
feared for the shepherd of the people, lest he should suffer 
aught, and thus quite 9 frustrate their toil \ The two (Me- 
nelaus and JEneas) were now holding out their hands and 
long spears against each other, eager to fight ; and Anti- 

570 lochus came close up to the shepherd of the people. And 
iEneas did not abide, though an active warrior, when he 
saw two men standing beside each other. When, there- 
fore, they had dragged the bodies (of Crethon and Orsilo- 
chus) to the army of the Achaeans, they placed them, un- 

575 happy, in the hands of their comrades ; and turning round 
themselves, they fought among the foremost. 



7 And there the end of death covered them. 

8 scil. Crethon and Orsilochus. 9 fisya. 

1 As the army would refuse to go on with the war, if Menelaus, for whose 
sake it was undertaken, should die. 



ILIAD V.— V. 575—605. 113 

Then they slew Pyhemenes, equal to Mars, the leader 
of the bold, shielded Paphlagonians. Him standing, the 
son of Atreus, the gallant Menelaus, wounded with his 
spear, striking him in the collar-bone ; and Antilochus 580 
wounded the driver Mydon, his brave attendant, the son 
of Atymnias — and he was turning his solid-hoofed horses 
— hitting him with a stone on the middle of the elbow, and 
the reins, white with ivory 2 , dropped from his hands in 
the dust upon the ground ; and then Antilochus, rushing 
upon him, struck him with his sword upon the temple, and 
panting, Mydon fell from the beautiful 3 car headlong in 585 
the dust, upon his forehead and shoulders. Long there 
he stuck, for he fell in deep sand, till the horses, plunging, 
struck him flat upon the ground, in the dust. And An- 
tilochus flogged them, and drove them to the army of the 
Achaeans. 

These 4 then Hector observed in the ranks, and rushed 590 
towards them, shouting ; and with him followed firm pha- 
lanxes of Trojans; and Mars headed them, and awful Bel- 
lona — she, taking with her the insolent Tumult of Bat- 
tle 5 ; and Mars brandished a huge spear in his hands, 595 
and raged sometimes in front of Hector, and sometimes 
behind him. 

And Diomedes, brave in battle, seeing him, shuddered. 
And as when a man perplexed about his road, crossing a 
vast plain, stops at a rapid river, which flows towards the 
sea, and seeing it roaring with foam, runs back again ; thus 600 
Tydides then retreated, and addressed his troops : 

" My friends, how much do we admire the noble Hector 
for being a bold spear-man and a daring warrior ! But 
one of the gods is always beside him, who repels de- 
struction; and that is Mars now beside him, in the 
shape of a mortal man. Fall back, therefore, always 605 

2 Studded — or ornamented with pieces of ivory. 

3 Of good workmanship. 4 Nineleus and Antilochus. 

s A personification — Bellona brings Battle with her. avaiSta — as having 
no respect for any thing. 

I 



114 ILIAD V.— V. (306—637. 

turned towards the Trojans, nor desire to fight stoutly 
with the gods." 

Thus then he spake ; and the Trojans came very near 
them. There Hector slew two men, skilful in battle, 
Menesthes and Anchialus, being in one car. But the 

610 mighty Telamonian Ajax pitied them fallen, and, advanc- 
ing very near, stood, and threw his shining spear, and 
struck Amphius, son of Selagus, who, with much wealth 
and many lands, dwelt in Psesus; but fate led him to 

615 assist Priam and his sons. Him then Telamonian Ajax 
struck upon the belt, and the long spear stuck in the lower 
part of his belly, and he made a crash, falling. And the 
illustrious Ajax rushed upon him, to strip him of his 
armour, but the Trojans poured their sharp shining spears 
upon him, and his shield received many. Then placing 

620 his heel upon it, he plucked his brazen spear from the 
body, but still was not able to take from his shoulders the 
rest of his handsome armour, for he was pressed upon 
with darts ; and he feared a strong inclosure of the brave 
Trojans 6 who, numerous and stout, pressed upon him, 
holding spears, and who, tall, strong, and gallant as he 

625 was > repelled him from them ; and retreating, he was 
driven back. 

Thus toiled they in obstinate battle. And forceful fate 
impelled Tlepolemus, tho son of Hercules, handsome and 
tall, upon the godlike Sarpedon. And when, advancing 
against each other, they were now close, the son and the 

630 grandson of cloud-collecting Jove, Tlepolemus first ad- 
dressed the other in these words : 

" Sarpedon, counsellor of Lycians, what necessity is 
there for thee, being a man unskilled in war, to be trem- 

635 bling here ? Falsely men declare 7 thee to be a son of aegis- 
bearing Jove ; since thou art much inferior to those men, 
who, among former generations 8 , sprung from Jove. And 

6 an<piftacriv for afiQifiaivovrag — i. e. the Trojans, who gathered round 
the body of Amphius. 

7 Lying they, &c. 8 Men. 



ILIAD V.— V. 638— 0G9. 115 

what an indomitable and lion-hearted man do they say 
was my father, the mighty 9 Hercules ! who once coming 640 
here, on account of the horses of Laomedon, with only six 
ships, and very few l men, laid waste the city of Troy, and 
desolated its streets. For thy spirit is cowardly, and thy 
people perish a ; nor can I think that thou, coming from 
Lycia, wilt be of service to the Trojans, not even if thou 645 
wert ever so brave, but, rather, subdued by my spear, wilt 
descend to the gates of Hades." 

And to him, in reply, Sarpedon, leader of Lycians, an- 
swered . " Tlepolemus, truly that hero laid waste sacred 
Ilium, through the folly of the noble hero Laomedon — he 650 
who reviled him that had done him service, with oppro- 
brious language, and gave him not the horses, for the sake 
of which he had come from afar. But I also think that 
here death and dark fate will overtake thee from me, and 
that, subdued by my spear, thou wilt give glory to me, and 
thy soul to Pluto, famous for his horses." 

Thus spake Sarpedon ; and Tlepolemus raised his ashen 655 
spear, and their long javelins flew from their hands at the 
same moment. Sarpedon struck the middle of his enemy's 
neck, and the cruel point went quite through, and dark 
night 3 covered his eyes. And Tlepolemus too had struck 660 
Sarpedon's left thigh with his long spear, and the impe- 
tuous point pierced through, driven upon the bone ; but 
his father still averted death. 

Then did his noble comrades carry the godlike Sar- 
pedon from the battle ; but the long spear, dragged after 
him, pained him ; for no one of them, busy in getting him 665 
into his car 4 , observed it, or thought to draw the ashen 
spear from his thigh — such anxiety 5 had they who were 
occupied with him. On the other side, the well-armed 
Achasans bore Tlepolemus from the battle ; and the noble 

9 The Herculean might. 1 Fewer — i. e. than the people of Troy. 

2 i. e. through thy cowardice. 

3 Night of Erebus. 4 Busy that he might get into his car. 
5 Labour. 

i 2 



116 ILIAD V.-—V. 670—701. 

670 Ulysses, possessing a daring spirit, perceived it, and his 
heart throbbed. And he debated within his mind and soul 
whether he should pursue farther the son of the loud-sound- 
ing Jove, or take away life from others 6 of the Lycians. 

675 Not, however, was it destined to the brave Ulysses to slay 
the gallant son of Jove with his sharp spear ; therefore 
Minerva turned his rage upon the mass of Lycians. There 
he slew Cceranus, and Alastor, and Chromius, and Alcan- 
der, and H alius, and Noemon, and Prytanis ; and more of 

680 the Lycians would noble Ulysses have slain, had not the 
mighty and stirring 7 Hector quickly observed him. For 
he went through the foremost combatants, armed in shining 
brass, bringing terror upon the Danaans ; and Sarpedon, 
son of Jove, was glad at his approach, and uttered this 
piteous speech : 

" Son of Priam, suffer me not to lie a prey to the 

685 Danaans, but defend me ; and then let life quit me 
in your city ; or otherwise I shall return home to my dear 
native land no more, to cheer my beloved wife and 
infant son." 

Thus he spake ; and the stirring 7 Hector answered him 

690 not, but flew past, glowing with ardour, that he might 
speedily repulse the Argives, and take away the life of 
many. Then his noble companions laid the godlike Sar- 
pedon beneath the beautiful beech-tree of the aegis-bearing 
Jove ; and the gallant Pelagon, who was his loved com- 

695 rade, forced out the ashen spear from his thigh. And 
his soul left him, and a mist spread over his eyes; but 
he breathed again, for the breeze of the north-wind 
blowing around him, refreshed his spirit that scarcely 
breathed. 

And the Argives neither fled in confusion to the black 

700 ships before Mars and Hector, armed in brass, nor bore 
up against them in battle ; but always they kept falling 

6 rojv irktovtav — the body of Lycians — equivalent to tt\k}$vv three lines 
below. 

7 Kopv&aioXog. 



ILIAD V.— V. 702—731. 117 

back, when they understood 8 that Mars was with the 
Trojans. 

Then whom first, and whom last, did Hector, son of 
Priam, and brazen Mars slay ? The godlike Teuthras, 705 
and next the equestrian 9 Orestes, and the ^Etolian Tre- 
chus, a spear-man 9 , and (Enomaus, and Helenus, the son 
of GEnops, and Oresbius, with a variegated belt — he who 
dwelt at Hyla, close upon the lake Cephissus, very much 
intent upon wealth ; and beside him dwelt other Boeotians, 710 
who held very rich land. 

And when the w r hite-armed goddess Juno observed these 
her Argives perishing in the hard battle, she immediately 
addressed to Minerva winged words : 

" Alas, child of the aegis-bearing Jove, invincible, surely 
a vain promise l plighted w r e to Menelaus — to return home 715 
after destroying well-built Ilium, if we suffer destructive 
Mars thus to rage. Come, then, let thou and I likewise 
think of active battle." 

Thus she spake, nor did the blue-eyed Minerva refuse. 
Then Juno, venerable goddess, daughter of mighty Saturn, 720 
proceeding, harnessed her golden-reined horses. And 
Hebe quickly put the curved wheels, brazen and of eight 
spokes, to the car, at each end of the iron-axletree ; of these, 
however, the imperishable felloes were of gold, and on 725 
the outside were brazen tires attached, wonderful to be 
seen ; the circular naves on both sides were of silver ; and 
the body 2 was suspended 3 with gold and silver straps, and 
the two avrvjEQ w^ere circular; and the pole of it was of 
silver ; and at the extremity of it (the pole), she fastened 739 
the handsome golden yoke, and put in it the beautiful 

8 l. e. from Diomedes. 603. 

9 7c\r}%nnroQ — meaning here, probably, Orestes was in his car, and 
Trechus, aivju?;r?/c, on foot. 

1 We stood under a vain word. 

2 cuppoQ is strictly the body of the car, or standing space — for there was 
no seat — and the avrvyiq are the sides, or panels, in this case two cir- 
cular pieces, meeting probably in front, but open behind for mounting. 

3 Literally — stretched — fastened in some way to the axle. 



118 ILIAD V.— V. 732—762. 

golden collars. And eager for the battle and the shout, 
Juno led under the yoke her swift-footed horses. 

And Minerva, the daughter of aegis-bearing Jove, flung 
off, upon the floor of her father, the beautiful embroidered 

735 veil, — that *, which she had herself made and worked with 
her own hands ; and, putting on her tunic, in the armour 
of cloud-collecting Jove she arrayed herself for tearful 
battle. On her shoulders she threw the terrible, fringed 
iEgis, which Fear begirt all round. On and in it were 

740 Contention, and Force, and chilling Pursuit ; and the 
Gorgon head of the fearful monster was upon it, terrible 
and horrible, a portent of aegis-bearing Jove. And upon 
her head she placed her golden, double-coned, four-studded 

745 helmet, fit for the infantry of a hundred cities 5 . And she 
stept 6 into the flaming car, and took her spear, heavy, 
huge, and strong, with which she overthrows the ranks of 
heroes, with whom she is angry — descended from a potent 
father. And Juno swiftly urged on the horses with the 
lash ; and grated 7 of their own accord the gates of heaven, 

750 which the Hours kept, to whom are entrusted the vast 
heaven and Olympus, both to remove the thick cloud, 
and to replace it. Then, through them, they drove 
the horses on, obedient to the lash 8 ; and they found the 
son of Saturn sitting, apart from the other gods, upon the 

755 highest summit of the many-topped Olympus. There 
the white-armed goddess Juno, stopping her horses, inter- 
rogated the son of Saturn, the supreme Jove, and addressed 
him : 

" Father Jove, art thou not offended with Mars, for 
these atrocious deeds ? How many and what glorious 

760 people of the Achaeans has he destroyed recklessly, and 
with no reason ; and to me a grief. Whilst Venus 
and the silver-bowed Apollo, at their ease, are delighted, 



4 bv pa. 5 Either extravagant, or wholly unintelligible. 

6 Mounted with feet. 

7 i. e. which creaked as they spontaneously opened. 

8 Literally— the goad. 



ILIAD V.— V. 7(33—795. 119 

setting on this madman, who knows no laws. Wilt thou, 
then, lather Jove, be angry, if, severely scourging Mars, I 
drive him from the battle ?" 

And the cloud-collecting Jove, answering her, said : 
u Well, then, dispatch after him Minerva, the despoiler, 765 
who is most accustomed to put him to torturing pains \" 

Thus he spake, nor did the white-armed goddess Juno 
refuse, but lashed on her steeds ; and they, not unwilling, 
flew midway between earth and the starry heaven. And 
as far as a man can see through the air with his eyes, 770 
sitting upon a rock, and looking over the dark sea, so far / 
did the neighing horses spring at a bound. But when now 
they came to Troy and the flowing rivers, where Simois 
and Scamander unite their streams, there the white-armed 775 
goddess Juno stopped her horses, loosening them from the 
car, and cast round them a thick cloud. And the Simois 
threw up ambrosia for them to feed on. 

And they, the goddesses, went with steps like frightened 
doves l , eager to assist the Argive warriors. And when at 780 
last they came where the most and bravest stood, collected 
round Diomedes, tamer of horses, like flesh-devouring 
lions, or wild boars, whose strength is not feeble — there 
the white-armed goddess Juno, standing, called aloud, in 
the likeness of the stout-hearted brazen-voiced Stentor, 785 
who shouted as loud as fifty other men could do. 

" Shame, Argives, foul disgraces, only gallant in form. 
As long as the noble Achilles took part 2 in the war, never 
did the Trojans advance beyond the Dardan gates, for they 
feared his powerful spear ; but now they fight, far from 790 
their city, close at the hollow ships." 

Thus having spoken, she roused the strength and 
courage of each. And the blue-eyed goddess Minerva 
flew after Tydides, and found that king beside his horses 
and car, cooling the wound, which Pandarus with an arrow 795 

9 L e. to punish him — alluding to some remoter mythics. 

1 Indicative of haste and anxiety. 

2 Was present. 



120 ILIAD V.— V. 796—827. 

had inflicted upon him; for the sweat under the broad 
belt of his good round shield distressed him — with 
it he was distressed, and his hand was weary ; and 
holding up the belt, he was wiping away the black blood. 
And the goddess touched the yoke of his horses 3 , and 
said: 

800 " Surely Tydeus begat a son little resembling himself; 
Tydeus indeed was small in body, but he was a warrior. 
For even when I forbade 4 him to fight, or rush on like a 
madman, and when he went, apart from the Achaeans, as 

805 an ambassador to Thebes, in among many Cadmeans, I 
ordered him to feast quiet in the halls — still he who had 
his own spirit as bold as before, challenged the chiefs of 
the Cadmeans, and overcame them in every contest easily 
— so great an assistant was I to him. And by thee too I 

810 stand, and guard thee, and exhort thee to fight boldly 
against the Trojans ; but either weariness, produced by 
much labour, has fallen upon thy limbs, or surely heartless 
fear restrains thee. Thou art, henceforth, no son of Tydeus, 
the brave son of CEneus." 

And the brave Diomedes, answering her, said: "I 

815 know thee, daughter of the aegis-bearing Jove, therefore 
will I freely speak to thee, nor conceal aught. Neither 
does heartless fear restrain me, nor any slothfulness ; but 
I am still mindful of the injunctions, which thou gavest 
me. Thou didst not permit 5 me to fight against the 

820 other blessed gods ; but if Venus, daughter of Jove, should 
come into the battle, her thou badest me wound with my 
sharp spear. For this reason I now keep aloof myself, and 
have ordered all the rest of the Argives to collect here, for 
I know that Mars controls the battle." 

825 And then the blue-eyed goddess Minerva replied : Ci Dio- 
medes, son of Tydeus, dear to my soul, fear thou neither 
that Mars, nor any other of the immortals, so great an 



3 The equestrian yoke. 4 When T did not suffer, &e. 

5 i. e. thou forbadest me. 



ILIAD V.— V. 828—858. 121 

auxiliary will I be to thee. Come then, drive thy solid- 
hoofed horses against Mars first. Engage 6 him hand to 830 
hand, nor respect that fierce raging Mars, mischievous 7 
and capricious miscreant, who yesterday conversing, pro- 
mised to myself and Juno, that he would fight against the 
Trojans, and assist the Argives, and now he is among the 
Trojans, and forgets the Argives*" 

Thus saying, she pulled Sthelenus from the car 9 towards 835 
the ground, dragging him backwards by the hand; and he 
instantly sprang out. And into the car, beside the noble 
Diomedes, mounted the impassioned goddess ; and the 
beechen axle groaned loud beneath the weight, for it 
carried a terrible goddess, and a very brave man. And 840 
Pallas Minerva seized the whip and the reins, and forth- 
with urged the solid-hoofed horses against Mars first. 
He indeed had just slain the mighty Periphas, by far the 
bravest of the JEtolians, the illustrious son of Ochesius 
— him the blood-stained Mars slew. And Minerva put on 845 
the helmet of Pluto, that impetuous Mars might not see 
her. 

And when Mars destroyer of men, beheld the noble 
Diomedes, then he let the mighty Periphas lie there, where 
first, killing him, he took away his life, and advanced straight 
against Diomedes, tamer of horses. And when coming 
against each other, they were now near, Mars first threw 1 850 
at him his brazen spear, over the yoke and reins of the 
horses 2 , eager to deprive him of life ; but the blue-eyed 
goddess Minerva, catching it in her hand, thrust it under 
the car, so that it was thrown in vain 3 . Next brave Dio- 855 
medes hurled his brazen spear ; and Pallas Minerva forced 
it into the lower part of the belly, where he was girt with 
his inner belt *; striking him then in this place, he wounded 



Strike. 7 a made evil — as if made for mischief and nothing else. 
8 Them. 9 Horses. 

1 Stretched forward with the spear. 2 J. e. those of Diomedes. 
z To have been driven in vain. 

4 fiirpijv. Compare A. 137- 



122 ILIAD V.— V. 859—889. 

him, and tore his fair skin ; and drew out the spear again ; 

860 and the brazen Mars roared as loud as nine or ten thou- 
sand men shout in war, while engaged in the conflict of 
battle. And fear in consequence seized upon the trembling 
Achaeans and Trojans, so loud shouted Mars, insatiable of 
war. 

And as a dark cloud appears in the sky 5 , when a strong 

865 wind rises, through the heat 6 , so appeared brazen Mars to 
Diomedes, son of Tydeus, ascending with the clouds, to 
the wide heaven. And he went immediately to the seat of 
the gods, the lofty Olympus, and sat down beside Jove, the 
son of Saturn, in great pain, and showed the immortal 

870 blood flowing from his wound, and lamenting uttered 
winged words : 

u Father Jove, art thou not indignant, observing these 
violent deeds ? Ever are we gods enduring most horrible 
things, through the plans of each other, and to gratify men. 

875 Through thee do we all fight 7 , for thou hast begotten a mad 
and pernicious daughter, who is ever planning mischief 8 . 
All the rest of the gods, as many as are in Olympus, are 
obedient to thee, and each of us are subject to thee; but 
her thou never restrainest by word or deed, but encou- 

880 ragest her, because thou didst thyself beget this destructive 
daughter. She has now incited the son of Tydeus, the 
insolent Diomedes, to vent his fury upon the immortal 
gods. First he wounted Venus upon the hand, at the 
wrist ; and then, like a god, rushed upon me myself ; but 

885 my swift feet carried me off, otherwise I should have long 
endured tortures there, among horrible carcases, or have 
been crushed 9 alive with the blows of his spear." 

But the cloud-collecting Jove, looking sternly at him, 
replied : " Do not sit and whimper by me, turncoat ; 

5 sk vtcpswv — i. e. from the region of clouds — the atmosphere. 

6 Kavfiarog — depends on e%. 

7 i. e. you are the cause of our fighting. 

8 To whom ever nefarious deeds are a care. 

9 Without strength — disabled. 



ILIAD V.— V. 890—909. 123 

thou art the most hateful to me of the gods who possess 890 
Olympus, for contention is ever dear to thee, and wars and 
battles. There is in thee the intolerable unyielding fieree- 
ness of thy mother Juno, whom I can with difficulty govern 
by words ; and in this case I suspect, that thou sufFerest 
these things from her counsels. However, I will not allow 895 
thee to suffer pain longer \ because thou art sprung 2 from 
me, and thy mother bore thee to me ; but if, thus destruc- 
tive, thou wert sprung from any other of the gods,, even 
long ago thou shouldst have been lower than the sons of 
Uranus 3 ." 

Thus he spake, and ordered Pason to heal him; and 
Paeon sprinkling anodyne medicines 4 upon him, cured 900 
him, for he was not liable at all to death 5 . And, as when 
rennet 6 working 7 , fixes white milk, liquid as it is, whilst 
it is rapidly stirred by the mixer ; so speedily did he heal 
the fierce Mars. And Hebe washed him, and put on his 905 
beautiful robes ; and he sat beside Jove, the son of Saturn, 
exulting in glory. 

And Argive Juno, and the protecting Minerva, returned 
again to the mansion of the mighty Jove, having with- 
drawn 8 Mars, the destroyer of men, from the slaughter of 
heroes. 

1 But I will not bear thee suffering pains yet long. 

2 A production — a son of me. 3 That is, the Titans. 0. 12. 
4 A. 218. 5 For he was not made mortal. 

c Supposed to be the juice of the fig. 7 As if O7roc was personified. 

8 Having caused to cease. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER 



BOOK VI. 



ARGUMENT. 



The battle is continued. The Trojans being closely pursued, Hector, by 
the advice of Helenus, enters Troy, and recommends it to Hecuba, to 
go in solemn procession to the temple of Minerva ; she, with the matrons, 
goes accordingly. Hector takes the opportunity to find out Paris, and 
exhorts him to return to the field of battle. An interview succeeds 
between Hector and Andromache ; and Paris, having armed himself, in 
the mean time, comes up with Hector, at the close of it, when they sally 
from the gate together. 

The dire battle of the Trojans and Achaeans was now de- 
serted by the gods ; and much in all directions on the 
plain did the battle rage, as at each other they hurled 
their brazen spears, between the floods of Simoi's and 
Xanthus. 
5 And Telamonian Ajax, the bulwark of the Achaeans, 
first broke a phalanx of Trojans, and brought relief to his 
comrades, wounding a man, who was the bravest among 
the Thracians, Acamas the son of Eusorus, both handsome 
and tall. Him first he smote upon the cone of the helmet, 

10 crested with horse-hair, and the brazen spear sunk in his 
forehead, and penetrated moreover into the bone ; and 
darkness covered his eyes. 

And, next, brave Diomedes slew Axylus, son of Teu- 
thras, who dwelt in well-built Arisba, rich in possessions, 

15 and hospitable to men ; for, living in a house by the road- 

12 



ILIAD VI.— V. 16—47. 125 

side* he kindly entertained all. But none of them then, 
coming to his aid, averted from him miserable destruction ; 
and Diomedes deprived of life, both him and his attendant 
CaleaiuSj — he who was then the driver of his horses ; and 
both fell to the ground. 

And Euryalus * slew Dresus and Opheltius ; and then 20 
went after ^Esepus and Pedasus, whom once Abarbarea, 
the Naiad-nymph, bore to good Bucolion. And Bucolion 
was a son of the illustrious Laomedon, his eldest by birth, 
and his mother gave birth to him clandestinely. For 25 
while he had the care of the flocks, he had intercourse with 
her (the Nymph) ; and she, becoming pregnant, bore him 
twin sons. And the son of Mecisteus slew them 2 , and 
stripped the armour from their shoulders. And, next, 
stout Polypoetes 3 killed Astyalus ; and Ulysses slew Pidy- 30 
tes, the Percosian 4 , with his brazen spear; and Teucer, 
the noble Aretaon; and Antilochus, son of Nestor, slew 
Ablerus with his shining spear; and the king of men, 
Agamemnon, Elatus, who dwelt in lofty Pedasus, by the 
banks of the fair-flowing Satnioeis. And the hero Leitus 5 35 
arrested Phylacus, while flying; and Eurypylus 6 slew 
Melanthius. 

And then brave Menelaus took Adrastus alive ; for his 
horses, flying in terror along the plain, getting entangled 
by a myrtle bough, and breaking the curved car, at the 
extremity of the pole, proceeded themselves towards the 40 
city, where the rest, fear-smitten, were flying. And he 
was himself thrown from his car, near the wheel, prone 
upon his face in the dust ; and Menelaus, son of Atreus, 
stood by him, with his long spear ; and then Adrastus, 
embracing his knees, entreated : 45 

"Take me alive, son of Atreus, and accept a worthy 
ransom ; for at my wealthy father's lie many precious 

1 B. 565, 6. 

2 Euryalus loosened their strength and fair limbs. 

3 B. 740. * Of Percote. B. 835. 
5 B. 494. 6 B. 736. 



126 ILIAD VI.— V. 48—74. 

stores, brass, and gold, and manufactured 7 iron — from 
50 them will my father gratify thee with an infinite ransom, 
if he shall learn that I am alive at the Achaeans' ships/ 5 

Thus he spake, and persuaded him 8 ; and Menelaus 
was forthwith going 9 to give him to his attendant, to take 
him down to the Achaeans' ships, but Agamemnon came 
up to him, running, and upbraiding, said ! : 
55 « O foolish Menelaus, why dost thou thus pity men ? 
Truly thou wert at home well treated by these Trojans 2 . 
Let none of them escape entire destruction, or our hands ; 
not the child, whom the mother bears in her womb — let 
60 not even it escape ; but let all together of Ilium perish 
unburied and unseen 3 " 

Thus saying, the hero turned the mind of his brother, 
Menelaus, advising what was right 4 ; and he thrust the 
hero Adrastus from him with his hand ; and king Aga- 
memnon struck him in the flank, and he fell flat, and 
65 Atrides, placing his heel upon his breast, plucked out the 
ashen spear. 

Then Nestor exhorted the Argives, shouting loud : 

u Friends, Danaan heroes, servants of Mars, let no one 

falling upon the spoils, lag behind, to go 5 to the ships, 

70 carrying most. But let us slaughter the men, and then of 

them 6 also, at your leisure, ye can strip the dead bodies 

dead on the plain." 

Thus speaking, he roused the might and courage of 
each. Then again would the Trojans, defeated by their 
own cowardice, have been driven 7 into Ilium by the warlike 

7 Much-wrought — articles or implements of iron. 

8 /xvSov — his mind — his feelings in his bosom. 

9 dr] Tax' efieW — already, on the point of going, &c. 

1 Said a word. 

2 The best things were done to thee by, &c. 

3 Disappear — so that there might be no relics or ren^^^rance of them. 

4 Advising right things. 



i. e. 



with a view to get all the spoil he can. 



6 ra scil. tvapa. 

7 Would have gone in again — i. e. driven by force. 



4 

1 



ILIAD VI.— V. H— 106. 127 

Achseans, had not HeleriuS, the son of Priam, far the best 
of augurs, addressed Hector and ^Eneas, standing beside 75 
them : 

••.Eneas and Hector — since upon you chiefly rests the 
battle of the Trojans and Lycians, because ye are the best 
in every effort, both in fighting and in planning — stand 80 
here, and in front of the gates stop the people, going 
among them in every direction, before they rush in again, 
flying to the arms of their wives 8 , and become a mockery 
to the enemy. And when ye have stirred up all the pha- 
lanxes 9 , we, remaining here, will fight with the Danaans, 
hard pressed although we be x , for necessity enforces it ; 85 
but do thou, Hector, repair to the city, and then speak to 
thy mother and mine. Taking 2 with her the matrons to 
the temple of the blue-eyed Minerva, in the Acropolis, 
having opened with a key the gates of the sacred mansion 
— the veil which appears to be the most elegant and the 90 
largest in her halls, and which is by far the most prized 
by her, let her lay upon the knees 3 of the fair-haired god- 
dess, — and vow to sacrifice to Minerva in the temple twelve 
oxen, of a year old, never yoked, if she will have pity upon 
the city, the wives, and the children 4 of the Trojans — if 95 
she will but avert from sacred Ilium the son of Tydeus, 
the fierce warrior, the direful master of rout, whom I affirm 
to be the mightiest of the Achaeans. Never thus did we 
fear Achilles, leader of men, whom they declare to have 
sprung from a goddess ; for greatly this man rages, nor 100 
can any one equal his strength. 55 

Thus he spake, and Hector disobeyed not his brother; 
but immediately leaped from his car with his arms to the 
ground, and brandishing sharp spears, went through the 
army in every direction, urging them to fight, and roused 105 
the fierce battle. And they rallied 5 , and stood up against 



8 i. e. for protection — like cowards. 9 i. e. to fight again. 

1 Although very hard pressed. 2 Taking — lay upon the knees, &c. 

8 Therefore the figure of the goddess was in a sitting position. 

4 vrjirta TSKva. 5 They were turned. 



128 ILIAD VI.— V. 107—140. 

the Achaeans ; and the Argives fell back, and desisted from 
slaughter 6 ; for they said that some one of the immortals 
had descended from the starry heaven to succour the Tro- 

110 jans — they so rallied. Then Hector encouraged the Tro- 
jans, shouting loud : 

"Ye spirited Trojans, and allies, summoned from afar, 
be men, my friends, and be mindful of your vigorous cou- 
rage, whilst I repair to Ilium, and charge the aged coun- 

115 sellors, and our wives, to supplicate the divinities, and to 
vow hecatombs/' 

Thus having spoken, the active Hector departed ; and 
struck upon his heels and neck the black hide, the rim 
which went last round his bossy shield 7 . 

And Glaucus, son of Hippolochus, and the son of 

120 Tydeus, met between both armies, eager to fight; and when, 
advancing against each other, they were now near, brave 
Diomedes first addressed him : 

ie And who art thou, my bravest of mortal men ? For I 
have never seen thee in glorious battle before ; and now 

125 hast gone far beyond all in thy confidence, when thou 
awaitest my long spear. For sons of the unhappy 8 are 
they, who encounter my might. But if, one of the immor- 
tals, thou hast come from heaven, I will not fight with the 
heavenly Gods ; for neither did the son of Dryas, the 

130 brave Lycurgus, five long 9 — he 1 who contended with the 
heavenly Gods, He once chased down the divine Nysseian 
hill the nurses of maddening Bacchus ; and they all toge- 
ther threw their Thyrsi upon the ground, being struck 

135 with an ox-goad, by Lycurgus, slayer of men. And Bac- 
chus, alarmed, rushed into the wave of the sea, and Thetis 
received him, trembling, in her bosom ; for violent terror 
seized him on account of the threatening of the man. 
With him then the Gods, who live without care, were 

140 enraged, and the son of Saturn made him blind ; nor did 

6 Blood. 7 i. e. he threw it behind his back . 

8 Sons of unhappy — l. e. unhappy are they who, &c. 

9 Was not long. l og pa. 



ILIAD VI.— V. 141—170. 129 

he long survive, for he was hated by all the immortal gods. 
Nor would I wish to fight with the blessed gods. But 
if thou art one of mortals, who eat the fruit of the ground, 
come near, that thou mayst the sooner reach final de- 
struction V 

And him, in return, the illustrious son of Hippolochus 
addressed : " Great Tydides, why inquirest thou of my 145 
birth ? As is the race of leaves, such is that of men ; some 
leaves 3 the wind scatters upon the ground, and others the 
budding wood produces, for they come again in the season 
of spring. So is the race of men, one springs up, and ano- 
ther dies 4 . But if thou desirest to learn these matters — 
hear, that thou mayst well know our family — though many 150 
men are acquainted with it 5 . In the bay of equestrian 
Argos is the town Ephyre, where lived Sisyphus, who was 
the cunningest of men, Sisyphus, the son of ^Eolus. Now 
he begat a son, Glaucus; and Glaucus begat the good 
Bellerophon ; and on him did the gods bestow beauty and 155 
attractive vigour. But Prcetus plotted his destruction — 
he who exiled him from the city ; for he (Prcetus) was the 
most powerful of the Argives, for Jove had subjected them 
under his sceptre. And with him (Bellerophon) the wife 
of Prcetus, the noble Anteia, was maddening to have clan- 160 
destine intercourse, but she could not persuade the just 6 
and prudent Bellerophon. And she addressed king Prcetus 
with a falsehood: "Die, O Prcetus, or kill Bellerophon, 
who wished to lie with me against my will." Thus" she 
spake, and indignation seized the king at what he heard. 165 
He was unwilling indeed to kill him, for he had a religious 
dread of that in his mind ; but he sent him to Lycia, and 
gave him fatal letters 7 , writing upon a folded tablet many 
deadly words, and bade him show them to his father-in- 170 

2 The limits — the boundary of destruction. 

3 i. e. one set of leaves — the foliage of one year. 4 Ceases. 

5 Or — if thou desirest to learn, or be informed of these things also, that 
thou mayst know our family well, / wiU tell thee— and many know it. 

6 Thinking good things. t Signs. 

K 



130 ILIAD VI.— V. 171—204. 

law 8 — in order that he might perish. And he departed 
for Lycia, under the kind guidance of the Gods ; and when 
he came to Lycia and the flowing X an thus, the king of 
broad Lycia hospitably entertained him — nine days he 
feasted him, and sacrificed nine oxen. And when at last 

175 the tenth rosy-fingered morning appeared, then he inter- 
rogated him, and requested to see the letters, which he 
brought from his son-in-law Prcetus. And after he had 
received the wicked letter of his son-in-law, first he ordered 

180 him (Bellerophon) to kill the tremendous Chimaera, — for 
she was of divine origin, not of men — in front a lion, and 
behind a dragon, and in the middle a goat — breathing forth 
the terrible force of blazing fire. And her he slew, trust- 
ing to the signs of the Gods. Next he fought against the 

185 glorious Solymi;.and he said that that was the hardest 
battle of heroes he had entered into. The third time, he 
slew the masculine Amazons. Then moreover he (Jobates) 
planned another dark plot against him on his return — 

190 selecting the bravest men from broad Lycia, he placed 
them in ambuscade ; but they returned not home again, 
for the illustrious Bellerophon slew them all. And when 
at last he perceived him to be the mighty offspring of a 
god, he detailed him there, and gave him his own daugh- 

195 ter, and presented him w«i^ the half of all his royal 
honour 9 ; and moreover the Lycians cut out for him an 
estate l excelling the rest, suited 2 for the produce of vines, 
and for ploughing, that he might cultivate it. And she 
bore the brave Bellerophon three children, Isandrus, and 
Hippolochus, and Laodameia — and with Laodameia wise 

200 Jupiter lay, and she bore him the godlike, brazen-mailed 
Sarpedon. And, when at last even he was hated by all 
the Gods, then he roamed through the Aleian plain, alone, 
eating 3 his own soul, and avoiding the track of men. And 
Mars, insatiable of war, slew his son Isandrus, when fight- 

8 i. e. the father-in-law of Prcetus — Jobates. 

9 i. e. divided the kingdom with him. * TepevoQ. 
2 Beautiful, or good. 3 i. e. melancholy mad. 



ILIAD VI.— V. 205—237. 131 

ing against the noble Solymi ; and the golden-reined Diana, 205 
enraged, slew his daughter (Laodameia) ; but Hippolochus 
begat me, and from him do I say that I am sprung. And 
he sent me to Troy, and charged me much to be ever 
brave, and to be superior to others, nor to disgrace the 
family of my fathers, who were by far the bravest both in 
Ephyre and in broad Lycia. Of this family and blood do 210 
I boast to be." 

Thus he spake, and brave Diomedes was delighted. His 
spear he stuck in the bounteous earth, and addressed the 
shepherd of the people in words of peace *. 

u Then thou art indeed my old paternal friend 5 , for 215 
noble CEneus once feasted in his halls illustrious Bellero- 
phon, and retained him for twenty days. And they pre- 
sented each other with handsome friendship-gifts ; CEneus 
gave a bright red belt, and Bellerophon a golden double 220 
cup, and it, when I came away, I left in my house. But 
Tydeus I do not remember; for he left me yet a little 
one, when he lost the army of the Achaeans at Thebes. 
Now therefore I am an host and friend to thee in the midst 
of Argos, and thou to me in Lycia, when I go to the nation 225 
of the Lycians ; and let us also avoid each other with our 
spears in the field. There are many Trojans and noble 
allies for me to slay, whomsoever God may present, or I 
overtake with my feet ; and there are, again, many Achaeans 
for thee to slaughter, whomsoever thou art able. And we 230 
will exchange armour with each other, that these also may 
know that we boast to be paternal friends V 

Thus saying, and leaping from their cars, they seized 
each other's hands, and gave the pledge of faith. And then 
Jove, the son of Saturn, took away from Glaucus his 
senses 7 , who exchanged his armour with Diomedes, son of 235 
Tydeus, golden for brazen, what was worth one hundred 
oxen, for what was worth nine oxen. 

* fieiXixioig — words of honey — kind and friendly. 

5 i. e. hereditary friend. 6 t. e. that our fathers were friends. 

7 <f>ptvag. 

K 2 



3 32 ILIAD VI.— V. 238— 2G7. 

And when Hector came to the Scaean gates, and the 
beech tree, the wives and daughters of the Trojans ran 
round him, inquiring for children, and brothers, and 

240 friends, and husbands ; and he then charged them to 
supplicate the gods all in procession 8 ; for evils hung over 
many. 

But when at length he came to the splendid mansion of 
Priam, built with marble porticos — and in it were fifty 
chambers of polished stone, built close to one another, 

245 where slept the sons of Priam beside their wedded wives. 
And within the court, on the other side, opposite, were 
his daughters' twelve ceiled chambers of polished stone, 
built close to each other, where the sons-in-law of Priam 

250 slept beside their wedded wives — there his fond mother, 
while going 9 towards Laodice, the fairest of her daugh- 
ters 1 , met him ; and she clung to his hand, and addressed 
him, and said: 

" My son, why hast thou come, leaving the fierce battle ? 

255 Too surely now the accursed sons of the Achaeans press you 
hard, fighting round the city ; and thy soul has prompted 
thee to come 2 here, and lift up thy hands to Jove from 
the Acropolis. But stay, whilst I fetch thee sweet wine, 

260 that thou mayst pour out a libation to father Jove and 
the other immortals first, and then refresh thyself, if thou 
wilt drink — for wine greatly increases the strength of a 
man weary, as thou art now weary with fighting for thy 
friends. " 

And then the mighty helmed Hector replied : u Bring 
not sweet wine to me, my venerable mother, lest thou 

265 unnerve me, and I lose 3 my strength and resolution. And 
I fear, with unwashed hands, to pour out the dark wine 
to Jove ; nor is it fit for me to offer vows to the cloud- 

8 k%tir)g. 9 toayovva scil. kavry\v. 

1 The best of her daughters as to appearance — in person. 

2 Coming here to lift, &c. 

3 Forget — x. e. lose my vigour and resolution to exert. Just as fivrjaaaOat 
SovpidoQ a\Krjg means to exert it. 



ILIAD VI.— V. 2Cis—3()(). 133 

collecting son of Saturn, thus stained with blood and gore. 
But go thou to the temple of Minerva, the despoiler 4 , with 
offerings b , assembling the matrons ; and the veil, which is 270 
most elegant, and the largest in thy house, and far the 
most precious to thyself, place upon the knees of the fair- 
haired Goddess, and make a vow to sacrifice in her temple 
twelve oxen, of a year old, and never put to the yoke, if 275 
she will take pity upon the city, the wives, and children 
of the Trojans — if she will but repel from sacred Ilium 
the son of Tydeus, the fierce warrior, the terrible router of 
his foes. Go thou, then, to the temple of Minerva, the 280 
despoiler ; and I will go in quest of Paris, that I may call 
him, if he will choose to listen to my advice 6 . Oh that the 
earth would there gape for him; for the Olympian has 
bred him up a great mischief to the Trojans, and to noble 
Priam, and his sons. Could I but behold him descend- 
ing to Hades, I might say my heart would forget its joyless 285 
misery." 

Thus he spake ; and she, departing to her house, gave 
orders to her attendants ; and they then assembled the ma- 
trons in the city. But she herself descended to the fragrant 
chamber, where were her robes of various embroidery, the 
works of the Sidonian women, whom the godlike Alexander 290 
himself brought from Sidon, sailing upon the wide sea, in 
that voyage in which he brought home Helen, descended 
from an illustrious father. One of these, which was the 
most beautiful for its decorations, and the largest, Hecuba 
taking up, carried as a gift to Minerva ; and it shone like 
a star, and lay at the bottom of the rest. And she set out 7 , 295 
and many matrons followed. 

But when they came to the temple of Minerva, in the 
Acropolis, the fair-cheeked Theano, daughter of Cisseus, 
and spouse of Antenor, tamer of horses, opened the gates 
for them ; for the Trojans had made her priestess of "00 

4 ayt\utjg. See A. 128. B Incense, or libations, or both. 

6 Hear me speaking — i. e. exhorting, or advising him to join the battle, 

7 She went to go. 



134 ILIAD VI.— V. 301—326. 

Minerva. And they all, with a cry, raised their hands to 
Minerva ; and then the beautiful Theano, taking the robe, 
placed it upon the knees of the fair-haired Minerva, and 
praying, supplicated the daughter of the mighty Jove : 

305 " Holy Minerva, guardian of the city, noblest of god- 
desses, break now the spear of Diomedes, and grant 8 that 
himself may fall headlong before the Scaean gates ; that 
we may forthwith sacrifice to thee, in thy temple, twelve 
oxen, of a year old, and never put to the yoke, if thou 

310 wilt take pity upon the city, the wives, and the children 
of the Trojans 9 ." 

Thus she spake, praying ; but Pallas Minerva consented 
not. Thus then they prayed to the daughter of the mighty 
Jove ; and Hector proceeded to the handsome mansion of 

315 Alexander, which he had himself built with men, who were 
at that time the best builders in fruitful Troy, who made 
for him a chamber *, a hall 2 , and a court 3 , near those of 
Priam and Hector, in the highest part of the city. There 
Hector, dear to Jove, entered ; and in his hand he held a 
spear of eleven cubits 5 length. The brazen point of the 

320 spear shone before, and a golden ring went round it *. And 
he found him in the chamber, busy with his very beau- 
tiful armour, his shield, and corselet, and setting to rights 
his bent bow; and Argive Helen sat among her female 
slaves, and was directing the famed works of her attend- 

325 ants. And Hector, on seeing him, reviled him with op- 
probrious words : 

" Ill-timed, Sir, dost thou foster this resentment in thy 5 



8 And give himself to fall. 

9 In order that we at once now may sacrifice, &c. — if thou shouldst take 
pity, &c. 

1 The female apartment — where the wife spent her time, and the husband 
a part of his leisure. 

2 The hall — which served as a saloon, and eating room. 

3 avXrjv — an open court, around which the apartments were built. 

* It — L e. the spear — the part where the point was joined to the shaft. 
5 Not well hast thou put this resentment in thy mind — a resentment ex- 
cited by the readiness which the Trojans had shown to abandon him. 

12 



ILIAD VI.— V. 327—352. 135 

soul. The people are perishing, fighting round the city 
and the Lofty wall ; and on thy account do the shout and 
the war rage round this city ; and yet wouldst thou thyself 
quarrel 6 with another, if thou any where sawest him skulk- 
ing from horrid battle. But up, lest the city soon blaze 330 
with hostile fire." 

And him in return, the godlike Alexander addressed : 
" Hector, as thou upbraidest me but justly, and not un- 
justly 7 , therefore will I speak to thee ; and do thou observe 
and hear me. Not so much through resentment or indig- 335 
nation against the Trojans sat I in my chamber, as that I 
wished to give way to my grief. And now my spouse, 
persuading me with gentle words, was urging me to war ; 
and so to myself also seemed it better ; for victory comes 
to men by turns 8 . Come then, wait, and I will put on my 340 
martial armour ; or go, and I will follow ; and I am sure I 
shall overtake thee." 

Thus he spake, and the helmed Hector answered not. 
But Helen addressed him in soothing words : 

u O brother-in-law of mine — mischievous woman 9 , and 
false that I am — would that on that day, when my mother 345 
first bore me, some terrible storm of wind had borne me 
off to a mountain, or into the wave of the roaring sea, 
where the wave would have washed me away, before these 
things happened \ But as the gods thus doomed these 
evils, then would that I had been the spouse of a better 350 
man — of one who regarded 2 the indignation and many 
opprobriums of men. But to this man there is 3 neither 



6 Fight — i. e, with words. 

7 According to justice, and not contrary, or heyond. 

8 Passes from one to another — L e. though I have just been beaten, I 
may be the conqueror next time. 

9 Evil-planning dog — not to use the too-forcible epithet of the feminine 
gender. 

1 i. e. in modern phrase — and prevented these things. 

2 Knew — i. e. who could estimate the moral indignation of men, and had 
some feeling of shame. 

3 His mind, or senses are. 



136 ILIAD VI.— V. 353—380. 

now, nor will there be hereafter a firm mind ' ; therefore I 
fear he will reap the consequences. But come now, my 

355 brother, enter, and sit upon this seat, since on thy mind 
chiefly presses the toil 5 on account of graceless 6 me, and 
Alexander's guilt, to whom Jove has given an evil destiny, 
so that we shall be hereafter infamous in song among future 
generations V 

And then the mighty helmed Hector replied : " Do not 

360 make me sit down, Helen, hospitable as thou art; nor shalt 
thou persuade me ; for my soul urges me to succour the 
Trojans, who feel the want of me, in my absence. But 
urge thou this man, and let himself too make haste, 

365 that he may overtake me before I quit the town 8 ; for 
I will go to my house, that I may see my domestics, and 
my beloved wife, and my infant son ; since I know not 
whether I shall any more come back to them, or whether 
the gods will now subdue me under the hands of the 
Achaeans." 

Thus having spoken, the helmed Hector departed, and 

370 immediately after he came to his well-placed 9 mansion, 
but found not white-armed Andromache in the halls ; for 
she had been standing upon the tower with her child and 
well- veiled attendant *, weeping and lamenting. And Hec- 

375 tor, when he found not his excellent wife within, going to 
the threshold, he stopped, and said to the domestics : 

" Tell me, maidens, true 2 . Whither is white-armed 
Andromache gone from the house? Is she gone to any 
of the sisters of her husband, or the well-veiled wives 
of his brothers, or to the temple of Minerva, where the 

380 other fair-haired Trojan women are supplicating the awful 
goddess ?" 

4 Said with reference to the levity with which Paris had disregarded the 
censure of the Trojans. 

5 i. e. you have all the toil. 6 Dog. 

7 Be sung of by future men — men to be. 

8 Being yet within the town. 

9 vauraovTag — applies to the position, as below, 415, &c. in B. 626, &c. 
1 The nurse. 2 True things. 



ILIAD VI. — V. 381 — 415. 137 

Then the notable housekeeper 3 said in return : " Hector, 
as thou bidst us tell the truth, — she is gone neither to 
any of the sisters of her husband, nor to the well-veiled 
wives of his brothers, nor to the temple of Minerva, where 
the other fair-haired Trojan women supplicate the awful 385 
goddess ; but she is gone to the high wall of Ilium, because 
she heard that the Trojans were hard pressed, and that the 
might of the Achaeans was great. She is gone near to the 
wall, hastening like a mad woman, and the nurse carries 
the boy along with her." 

The female housekeeper said ; and Hector rushed from 390 
the house, the same way back, through the well-built 
streets. And when, passing through the great city, he 
came to the Scaean gates, (for that way he must go out to 
the plain,) where his rich-dowered wife came running to 
meet him, Andromache, daughter of the noble Eetion — 395 
Eetion who dwelt at the foot of woody Placus, in Hypop- 
lacian Thebe, governing Cilician men. His daughter was 
wedded 4 to the brazen-mailed Hector. She then met him, 
and with her went an attendant, holding in her bosom the 400 
tender child, quite an infant, the beloved son of Hector, 
like a beautiful star. Him Hector called Scamandrius, but 
others Astyanax : for Hector alone defended Ilium. Then, 
looking at his son in silence, he smiled ; and Andromache 
stood beside him, weeping ; and she clung to his hand, ad- 405 
dressed him, and said : 

" Thy 5 valour will destroy thee ; nor dost thou pity 
thine infant, nor me, miserable, who will soon be thy 
widow ; for soon will the Achaeans slay thee, all attacking 
thee ; and it will be better for me, when deprived of thee, 410 
to go under the earth; for there will no longer be other 
comfort, when thou art dead 6 , but — sorrows. Nor have I 
father or venerable mother ; for in truth the noble Achilles 
slew my father, and sacked the well-situated city of the 415 

3 Dispenser. 

4 Was had by Hector. 5 Aaifxovit. 
6 When thou hast departed to death. 



138 ILIAD VI.— V. 416—445. 

Cilicians, high-gated Thebe. Eetion he slew, but stripped 
not, because he had a religious fear of this in his mind 7 ; 
but he burned him, with his beautiful armour, and heaped 
over him a mound ; and the nymphs, the Oreades, daugh- 

420 ters of asgis-bearing Jove, planted elms around it. And in 
his halls were seven brothers of mine, who all went on the 
same day to Had.es ; for the noble Achilles, swift of foot, 
slew them all among their slow-footed oxen and white 

425 sheep. And my mother, who was a queen, at the foot of 
woody Placus, after he had led her away with the other 
spoils, he again set at liberty, receiving an immense ran- 
som ; and Diana, delighting in arrows, shot her in the 
halls of my father 8 . But thou, Hector, art a father, a 

430 venerable mother, and a brother to me, and thou art my 
youthful husband: therefore, come now, have pity upon 
me, and remain here in the tower, nor render thy son an 
orphan, and thy wife a widow. And station the army by 
the wild fig-tree, where the town is easiest of approach 9 , 

435 and the wall is assailable ; for three times the chiefs ad- 
vancing, have attempted it in this quarter, the two Ajaxes \ 
and the famous Idomeneus, and the sons of Atreus, and 
the brave son of Tydeus — either some of them well skilled 
in auguries advised them, or their own mind impels and 
directs them." 

440 And her the mighty helmed Hector addressed in return : 
iC All these things, too, are my care, wife ; but I should be 
very much ashamed 2 to look at the Trojans and long- 
robed 3 Trojan women, if, like a coward, I shrunk from 
battle — nor does my soul thus prompt me, for I have 

445 learned to be always brave, and to fight amongst the 

7 i. e. he forebore, from fear of drawing on himself the vengeance of the 
gods for such indignity — as, in 167 of this book, the same phrase expresses 
Prsetus's fear of incurring the like vengeance, should he kill Bellerophon 
with his own hands. 

8 Supposed to be expressive of sudden death — or of death by inflamma- 
tory fevers. 

9 Of ascent. l Those about the two Ajaxes, &c. 



ILIAD IV.— V. 44(3—477. 139 

foremost Trojans, vindicating the great glory of my father, 
anil my own. But this I well know in my mind and in 
my sold * that the day will come, when sacred Ilium will 
perish, and Priam, and the people of Priam, of the good 
ashen spear ; yet the sorrows of the Trojans hereafter are 450 
not so much a matter of concern to me, nor Hecuba's 
herself, nor king Priam's, nor my brothers', who, many 
and brave, shall fall in the dust beneath their enemies, 
as thine, when some one of the mailed Acheeans shall 
carry thee weeping, away, depriving thee of liberty 5 ; and 455 
when, being in Argos, thou shalt weave a web for another, 
and carry water from the fountain of Messei's or Hypereia, 
much against thy will, but strong necessity will lie on 
thee; and some one say, beholding thee shedding tears, 
( That is the wife of Hector, who was the best of the Tro- 460 
jan chiefs in fighting, when they fought round Troy/ 
Thus some will say, and thy grief will be renewed, from 
the want of such an husband to deliver thee from slavery 6 . 
But may the piled up earth cover me, dead, before I hear 
of thy cry or thy captivity." 465 

Thus saying, the illustrious Hector held out his hands 
to his child ; but the child, screaming, shrunk back to the 
bosom of his well-girdled nurse, alarmed at the aspect of 
the fond father, fearing the brazen armour, and the horse- 
hair crest, seeing it nodding terribly from the summit of 470 
the helmet ; and the fond father and noble mother smiled. 
Forthwith from his head the illustrious Hector took the 
helm, and laid it shining upon the ground ; and when he 
had kissed his loved child, and dandled him in his arms, 
praying to Jove and the other gods, he said : 475 

(i Jove, and ye other gods, grant that this my son also 
may become distinguished among the Trojans, as I have 



* i. e. I am sure of — as if convinced by knowledge and feeling. 
5 Taking away thy free day. 

c Servile day — as in line 455, sXtvQepov J?juap, free day — i. e. rifiap ex- 
presses the state or condition in which a person passes his day, or time. 



140 ILIAD VI.— V. 478—508. 

been ; that he may be thus brave 7 , and may powerfully 
govern Ilium ; and may some one say of him, returning 

480 from battle — < He is much mightier than his father f and, 
slaying his enemy, let him bring the bloody spoils, and 
gladden the heart of his mother." 

Thus speaking, he placed his child in the arms of his 
beloved wife ; and she received him in her sweet bosom, 
smiling 8 through her tears ; and her husband observing, 

485 pitied her, and caressed her in his arms, and addressed 
her, and said : 

" Be not too much afflicted in thy mind for me, love ; 
for no man, before my fate 9 , will send me to Hades. And 
no man, either the coward or the brave, I am sure_, can 

490 ever escape death, who ever was born K But go to the 
house, and attend to thy employments, the loom and the 
wheel, and order thy handmaids to perform their work; 
whilst war shall be the care of all the men, who are born 
in Troy, and especially of me/' 

Thus having spoken, the illustrious Hector took up his 

495 helmet, crested with horse-hair; and his beloved wife, 
looking back, departed home, shedding abundant tears; 
and soon then she reached the well- placed house of Hec- 
tor, slayer of men, and found her numerous handmaids 

p-qq within, and excited lamentation among them all. And 
they lamented Hector in his house, though still alive ; for 
they thought that he never would return again from war, 
escaping the might and hands of the Achseans. 

Nor did Paris loiter in his lofty mansion ; but when he 
had put on his noble brazen armour, he hastened through 

505 the city, trusting to his swift feet 2 . And as when some 
stabled horse, fed on barley at the stall, breaking his 
halter, runs over the plain, beating the earth with his 
feet, (accustomed to wash himself in the fan-flowing river,) 



7 Thus good in might. 8 Tearfully smiling. 

9 v7rep aurav. 

1 Lit. after he was first born — i. e. all who are born must die. 

2 i. e. treading — walking with rapid steps. 



ILIAD VI.— V. 509—529. 141 

exulting ; and he carries his head on high, and his mane 
wantons upon his shoulders ; and, proud of his beauty, his 510 
limbs soon bear him to the haunts and pastures of the 
mares ; so Paris, son of Priam, down from the high Per- 
gamus, glittering in armour like the sun, ran exulting, and 
his swift feet bore him along. And immediately after he 
overtook his noble brother Hector, when he was just going 515 
to turn from the place, where he had conversed with his 
wife. — Him the godlike Alexander first addressed : " My 
revered brother, in truth, I am keeping thee, though in 
haste, with my delay, and have not come at the right 
time 3 , as thou didst bid me." 

But the helmed Hector answering him, said : " My good 520 
brother, no man, w r ho is just, will find fault with thy 
conduct in battle, for thou art brave : but thou too 
readily neglectest i the battle, and art unwilling to encounter 
it; and my heart is grieved, when I hear the infamies 
charged on thee by the Trojans, who suffer much toil for 525 
thy sake. But let us go, and we will settle these matters 
hereafter, if Jove ever grant that we raise in our halls the 
free 5 goblet to the everlasting heavenly gods, after having 
driven the well-armed Achaeans from Troy/' 

3 i. e. at the time it became him — with sufficient speed. 

4 fitOuig— A. 240. 

5 i. e. when we are freed from all apprehension — when we are victorious, 
and the war at an end. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER 



BOOK VIT. 



ARGUMENT. 



Ajax and Hector engage in single combat. The Grecians fortify their 

camp. 

Thus sayings illustrious Hector rushed from the gates, 
and with him went his brother Alexander ; and both were 
eager in their minds to join in the war and the battle. 
And as a god gives a breeze to sailors, longing for it, when 
5 they are weary with agitating the deep 1 with their smooth 
oars, and their limbs are relaxed with toil ; so too appeared 
these two to the Trojans, desiring them. Then they slew, 
the one 2 , Menesthius, son of king Areithous, dwelling 
at Arna, whom the club-bearing Areithous and the fair 3 

10 Philomedusa produced ; and Hector struck Ei'oneus with 
his sharp spear upon the neck, under the brazen 4 rim of 
the helmet, and slew him 5 . And Glaucus, son of Hippo- 
lochus, leader of the Lycian warriors, smote with his spear, 

15 in the sharp battle, Iphinous, son of Dexias, upon the 
shoulder, as he was springing into his car 6 : and he fell 
from his horses to the ground, and his limbs were relaxed. 



1 i. e. in a calm. 2 Alexander. 3 /3ow7ri<,\ 

4 Eu^aXKov — expressive of the beauty of the decoration or workmanship. 

5 Relaxed his limbs. 6 On his horses. 



ILIAD VII.-— V. IS— 47. 143 

And when the blue-eyed goddess, Minerva, observed the 
Argives perishing in the fierce battle, she descended in 
haste from the summits of Olympus to sacred Ilion : and 20 
Apollo, beholding her from Pergamus, speeded to meet 
her, for he desired victory for the Trojans. And these 
met each other by the beech-tree, and the king Apollo, the 
son of Jove, first addressed her : 

" Why, again, excited, daughter of mighty Jove, comest 
thou from Olympus, and what does thy great spirit 25 
prompt thee to? Is it that thou mayst give Victory 7 an 
auxiliary to the battle of the Danaans ? Since thou pitiest 
not at all the perishing Trojans. But if thou wilt be 
advised by me, which I think will be much better, let us 
now stop the war and the conflict for to day ; and another 30 
time they shall fight again, till they accomplish the 
destruction 8 of Ilium, — since it is thus agreeable to the 
minds of you immortals to destroy this city." 

And the blue-eyed goddess, Minerva, addressed him in 
return : u So let it be, far-darter ; for I myself also, medi- 
tating the same things, came from Olympus to the Trojans 35 
and Achaeans. Come, then, how dost thou purpose to stop 
the battle of heroes ?" 

And to her king Apollo, son of Jove, replied : C£ Let us 
stir up the bold spirit of Hector, tamer of horses, that he 
may challenge alone one of the Danaans, singly to fight 40 
against him in fierce combat ; and that the brazen-greaved 
Achaeans, indignant, urge some one alone to fight the noble 
Hector." 

Thus he spake, and the blue-eyed goddess Minerva did 
not refuse. And Helenus, the dear son of Priam, gathered 
up in his mind their purpose, that 9 , which seemed good to 45 
the gods deliberating ; and approaching, he stood beside 
Hector, and addressed this speech to him : 

ei Hector, son of Priam, equal in counsel to Jove, wilt 

7 Victory is here personified. trtpaXicrig is whatever lends help to an- 
other — an efficient auxiliary. 

8 Find an end of T lion. 9 « pa. 



144 ILIAD VII.— V. 48—78. 

thou be advised by me ? I am thy brother. Make all the 
rest of the Trojans and the Achaeans sit down, and do 

50 thou thyself challenge of the Achaeans the bravest ' to fight 
with thee in dreadful combat ; for 2 not yet is it thy destiny 
to die and fulfil thy fate ; for thus have I heard 3 the voice 
of the everlasting gods/ 5 

Thus he spake, and Hector, again, was greatly rejoiced, 

55 hearing the proposal ; and advancing into the midst, he 
kept back the phalanxes of the Trojans, holding his spear 
in the middle ; and they all fell back 4 ; and Agamemnon 
also made the well-armed Achaeans sit down. Meanwhile 
Minerva, and the silver-bowed Apollo, like vultures 5 , sat 

60 down upon the lofty beech of father Jove, the aegis-bearer, 
delighted with the men — for their dense ranks sat down, 
bristling with shields, and helmets, and spears. And as a 
ripple spreads on the sea, when the zephyr first rises, and 

65 the sea darkens under it 6 ; so too sat the ranks of the 
Achaeans and Trojans upon the plain ; and Hector spoke 
to both : 

"Hear me, Trojans, and well-armed Achaeans, that I 
may speak what my soul in my bosom prompts. The son 
of Saturn, who sitteth aloft, has not fulfilled our compact, 

70 but meditating evils, he destines them for both, till either 
ye take the well-towered Troy, or yourselves fall beside 
your sea-faring ships. There are among you the bravest 
of all the Achaeans — of all these, then, let him, whose spirit 

75 prompts him to fight with me, come hither, to be the 
champion against noble Hector. Thus then, do I propose, 
and let Jove be a witness between us ; — if he shall slay 
me with his long-pointed spear, then, stripping off my 

1 Whoever of the Achaeans is bravest. 

2 For fate is not to thee to die, and fall upon destruction. 

3 In line 44 he collected — it appears not how — the mind of the gods. 
Here he is said to hear, which probably conveys no more than to understand ; 
and must be taken in consistency with the former phraseology. 

4 Made to sit — i. e. to be quiet — to suspend the combat. 

5 Like to vulture birds. 

6 i. e. under the ripple. 



ILIAD VII.— V. 79— 107. 145 

armour, let him bear it to the hollow ships; but let him 
restore my body home, that the Trojans and wives of the 80 
Trojans may consume my dead body with fire 7 . But if I 
shall slay him, and Apollo give me glory, I will, stripping 
off his arms, bear them to sacred Ilium, and suspend them 
in the temple of the far-darting Apollo, and his body I will 
restore to the well-benched ships, that the long-haired 
Achaeans may perform his exequies, and pile up for him a 85 
tomb beside the broad Hellespont. And hereafter even 
among future generations 8 will they say, when sailing in a 
many-benched ship upon the dark sea : e This is the tomb 
of an hero slain long ago, whom, though the bravest 9 , the 
illustrious Hector once killed/ Thus they 1 will say, and 90 
my glory will never perish/ 5 

Thus he spake, and all became silent. They were 
ashamed indeed to decline the challenge, but they were 
afraid to accept it. Till at last Menelaus started up, and 
spoke among them, tauntingly upbraiding them 2 , and was 95 
greatly excited 3 : 

" Oh ! boasters, Achaean women, no longer Achaean men, 
surely this will be a stain most miserable 4 , if no one of the 
Danaans shall encounter 5 Hector. But may ye be all earth 
and water, sitting here, each heartless, thus inglorious ; 100 
and I will myself arm against him; for victory 6 is with 
the immortal Gods above." 

Thus having spoken, he braced on his bright armour. 
Then, Menelaus, would the end of life have come to thee, 
by the hands of Hector, since he was much more powerful, 105 
had not the kings of the Achaeans, starting up, restrained 
thee : and the son of Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon, 



7 May give me dead the portion of fire. 

8 Of men to be after. 

9 i. e. of the Achaeans. l ric — indefinitely. 
2 Reviling with a taunt. 3 Groaned much in spirit. 
4 Surely these things will be grievously a disgrace from grief. 

s Go against — or go to meet. 

C) The ends of victory — the effects or results of it — victory itself. 

L. 



146 ILIAD VII.— V. 108 — 141. 

himself took him by the right hand, and addressed him, 
and said : 

u Thou art foolish, heaven-protected Menelaus ; nor does 
110 this folly at all become thee. Now restrain thyself, vexed 
though thou art ; nor desire, from anger, to fight with a 
man mightier than thyself — with Hector, the son of Priam, 
whom others dread ; for even Achilles, who is much 
more valiant than thou, shudders to meet this man in 
115 glorious battle. But do thou now sit down, going to 
thy troop of comrades, and the Achaeans will stir up 
another champion for him. Intrepid although he be, and 
though he is insatiable of battle, I think he will willingly 
bend his knee 7 if he escape from glowing war and fierce 
battle." 
120 Thus saying, the hero bent the mind of his brother, 
advising what was right; and he obeyed; and then his 
joyful attendants stripped the armour from his shoulders. 
And Nestor arose among the Argives and said : 

" Oh now a deep disgrace is come upon the Achaean 
125 land ! The old equestrian man Peleus, the good counsellor 
and adviser of the Myrmidons will indeed lament — he who 
of old delighted, in his house, to interrogate me, and inquire 
into the race and parentage of all the Argives, — if he shall 
130 hear that these are all now paralysed by Hector, he will 
lift up his hands to the immortals, and pray that his soul 
may descend from his limbs to the mansion of Pluto. O, 
father Jove, Minerva, and Apollo, that I were young, as 
once when the assembled Pylians and xArcadians, skilled 
135 in the spear, fought by the rapid Celadon at the walls of 
Phea, by the streams of Jardanus. Among them foremost 
stood Ereuthalion, a godlike man, having upon his shoul- 
ders the arms of king Areithous — the noble Areithous, on 
whom men and well-girded women bestowed the surname 
140 of Corynetes 8 , because he fought neither with bow nor 
long spear, but broke phalanxes with an iron mace 9 . Him 

7 i. e. sit down for very weariness. 

8 Whom men and well-girded women called by surname. 9 icopwy. 



ILIAD VII.— V. 142—172. 147 

Lycurgus slew by guile, and not by force, in a narrow 
passage, where ' his iron mace availed not to repel destruc- 
tion from him; for Lycurgus, anticipating him, pierced 
him through his body with a spear ; and Areithous fell 145 
prone to the soil ; and he plundered him of the arms, 
which brazen Mars had given to him, and afterwards wore 
them himself in war 2 . And when Lycurgus had grown 
old in his halls, he gave them to Ereuthalion, his beloved 
servant, to be worn; — and he, possessing his armour, chal- 150 
lenged all the bravest ; and they trembled and were much 
afraid, and no one dared to accept the challenge. Then my 
bold spirit with its own confidence urged me to fight ; 
although I was the youngest of all. And I fought with 
him, and Minerva gave me glory. Him then, the greatest 
and the mightiest man, I slew ; for he lay, vast, extended 155 
on all sides 3 . Would that I were thus young, and that 
my strength was entire ; then the helmed Hector soon 
should have somebody to fight with him 4 . But of you, 
who are the bravest of all the Achaeans, none dare to go 160 
against Hector s " 

Thus the old man upbraided them ; and full nine started 
up s . Much the first rose Agamemnon, king of men ; and 
after him the gallant Diomedes arose, the son of Tydeus ; 
and after them the Ajaxes, men of vigorous force ; and after 
them Idomeneus, and Meriones, the comrade of Idomeneus, 165 
equal to Mars, the slayer of men ; and after them Eurypy- 
lus, the renowned son of Evaemon ; and Thoas, the son of 
Andraemon, rose, and the noble Ulysses. All these then 
wished to fight with noble Hector; and Nestor, the Gere- 170 
nian chief, addressed them : 

" Now shake all of you for the lot to see, which shall 
obtain it ; for he will soon do good service to the well- 



1 69' apa — where tliat is — pointing out the cause of the impediment. 

2 In the battle of Mars. 3 Here and here — jacuit immensus. 
4 fiaxrig — I. e. fiaxs^ofjLSVov — he should soon encounter one to fight with 

him — a battle. s Not with alacrity are you ready to go. 

Nine in all — as many as nine. 

L 2 



148 ILIAD VII.— V. 173—203. 

armed Achseans, and will himself delight his own soul, if 
he escape from glowing war and fierce battle." 

175 Thus he spake, and they marked each his own lot, 
and threw them into the helmet of Agamemnon, son of 
Atreus. And the people prayed, and lifted up their 
hands to the Gods, and thus said they, looking to the wide 
heaven : 

" O father Jove, choose 7 either Ajax, or the son of Ty- 

180 deus, or the king of rich Mycene himself." 

Thus then they spake ; and Nestor, the Gerenean chief, 
shook; and from the helmet sprang, what themselves wished, 
the lot of Ajax ; and an herald carrying it along the line 8 , 
showed it to all the bravest of the Achseans, beginning 

185 from the right, and they, not knowing it, disclaimed it, each 
of them. But when at last, carrying it along the line, he 
came to him who had inscribed, and thrown it into the. 
helmet, the illustrious Ajax, he stretched out his hand 9 , 
and the herald placed it in it, standing near ; and behold- 
ing the mark of the lot, Ajax recognized it, and was de- 

190 lighted in his soul. And he cast it upon the ground, at 
his foot, and said : 

" My friends, truly the lot is mine, and I myself rejoice 
in my soul ; for I think that I shall conquer noble Hector. 
Come then, whilst I put on my war-armour, pray ye to king 
Jove, the son of Saturn, in silence with yourselves, that 

195 the Trojans at least may not hear — or even aloud, since 
we by no means fear any one ; for no one at pleasure will 
make me fly in spite of me, by force, nor through my own 
unskilfulness, since I do hope I was not born and bred at 
Salamis so ignorant of arms 1 ." 

200 Thus he spake ; and they prayed to king Jove, the 
son of Saturn, and thus said they 2 , looking to the wide 
heaven : 

" O father Jove, governing from Ida, most glorious, 

7 Xa%£iv sell. dog. 8 j. e. the nine in succession. 

9 To take and examine it. 

1 vr}idci)i$cil. atdXiov, OdyssrG. 179. 2 rig. 



ILIAD VII. — V. 204—230. 1 19 

most mighty, grant to Ajax, to obtain victory and glo- 
rious renown ; and if thou lovest Hector also, and carest 205 
tor him, bestow equal force and glory upon both." 

Thus they spake; and x\jax armed himself in splendid 
brass. And when he had put all his armour upon his body, 
then with haste he stept forth,, as walks the mighty Mars^ 
who goes to battle among the men, whom the son of Saturn 
incites to fight, with the force of life-destroying contention. 210 
Such then advanced the mighty Ajax, the bulwark of the 
Achaeans, with a smile upon his stern features 3 , and walked 
upon his feet below him, taking huge i strides,, and brand- 
ishing a long spear. And the Argives beholding him were 
greatly delighted; while strong terror took the limbs of21o 
each of the Trojans 5 , and the heart of Hector himself beat 
within his bosom; but it was no longer in his pow r er to 
retreat 6 , nor escape into the ranks of the army, since he 
had challenged to the combat. And Ajax came near, bear- 
ing, like a tower, his brazen shield, made of seven bulls' 
hides, which Tychius toiled to form 7 for him, by far the 220 
best maker of shields, dwelling in his house at Hyla. He 
formed the varied shield, made of the hides of seven fat 
bulls 8 , and plated it, for an eighth fold^ with brass 9 . Bear- 
ing this before his breast, the Telamonian Ajax stood very 
near to Hector, and boasting, said : 225 

£( Hector, now shalt thou soon clearly know, man to 
man l , what chiefs there are among the Danaans, even 
besides the lion-souled Achilles, the breaker of ranks. He 
indeed abides at his high-beaked sea-crossing ships, indig- 
nant with Agamemnon, the shepherd of the people ; still 230 

3 Smiling with his terrible countenance. 

4 Stepping long. 

5 But fearful trembling came upon the Trojans, each as to his limbs. 

6 He no longer had it to fear. 

7 Which Tychius labouring made. 

8 Of seven bulls' hides— of fat bulls. 
,J And laid on an eighth brass. 

1 Single to single — thou alone to me alone. 



150 ILIAD VII.— V. 231—262. 

we, such as are able to encounter thee 2 , are e'en many : 
but begin the battle and the war V 

And him then the mighty helmed Hector addressed: 
" Godlike Ajax, son of Telamon, commander of the troops, 
235 treat me not like a puny boy, or a woman, who knows not 
martial deeds ; for I am well acquainted with battle, and 
the slaughter of men. I know how to turn my shield to 
the right and to the left, so that 1 4 can fight long without 
240 exhaustion 5 ; I know how to contend in standing battle 6 ; 
and I know how to rush into battle in the rapid car. But 
I wish not to strike thee, such 7 as thou art, stealthily watch- 
ing an opportunity, but openly, if I can do it. 5 ' 

He said, and shaking it } hurled his long spear, and 
245 struck the huge shield of Ajax, made of seven bulls' hides, 
upon the brass, on the outside plate, which was the eighth 
upon it. And the unwearied spear went through six folds, 
dividing them, but was stopped in the seventh hide. Next 
250 Ajax, Jove-sprung, threw his long spear, and struck the 
round shield of the son of Priam. The forceful spear went 
through the shining shield, and transfixed the curiously- 
wrought corselet, and the spear cut the tunic right through 
at the flank ; but Hector swerved, and escaped black death. 
255 Now both, at the same time, dragging out their long spears 
with their hands, rushed together, like flesh-devouring lions 
or wild boars, whose strength is not feeble. Then the son 
of Priam smote the middle of Ajax's shield with his spear, 
25Q but split not the brass, for his point bent. And Ajax, 
leaping upon him, thrust at his shield, and the spear went 
quite through, and rolled him back, as he was rushing on, 



2 Such who can encounter thee, &c. 

3 Battle and war — a case of hendyades, rather than of tautology — instead 
of battle of war — i. e. contrasted with one of words. 

4 On which account there is to me, &c. He could use the shield on either 
arm, 5 to Se, &c. and that is a sustaining thing, &c. 

6 sc. v(T[xiv7j. — I know in standing fight how to dance to fierce Mars. 

7 Being such. 



ILIAD VII.— V. 262— 291. 151 

for it came with the point 8 upon the neck ; and the black 
blood gushed forth. But neither thus did the helmed 
Hector desist from battle ; for stepping back, he seized in 
his strong hand a stone lying upon the ground, black, and 265 
rough, and huge, with which he struck the strong shield 
of Ajax, made of seven bulls' hides, in the middle of the 
boss, and the brass rang again. And Ajax, in his turn, 
lifting a much larger stone, and, whirling, threw it, and 
impelled it with prodigious strength, and quite shattered 
his shield, striking it with the rock like a mill-stone. And 270 
the knees of Hector failed him, and he was stretched 
supine, encumbered by his shield; but Apollo forthwith 
set him upright again. And now hand to hand would they 
have struck each other with their swords, had not the 
heralds, the messengers of Jove 9 and of men, come up, 275 
one of the Trojans, another of the brazen-armed Achaeans, 
Talthybius and Idaeus, both discreet men ; and they held 
their sceptres between them both, and the herald Idaeus, 
skilled in prudent counsels *, thus spake : 

ee No longer, good lads 2 , contend nor fight, for the cloud- 
collecting Jove loves you both, and ye are both warriors — 280 
that now we all know. But night is now at hand, and it 
is good to obey night V 

And Telamonian Ajax, answering him, said: "Idaeus, 
bid Hector speak to these things 4 , for himself challenged 
all the bravest to combat. Let him begin, and I will com- 285 
ply, if he wishes." 

And him then the mighty helmed Hector addressed : 
"Ajax, since God has given thee might, and strength, and 
prudence, and thou art the ablest of the Achaeans with the 
spear, let us now cease from battle and contention to-day. 290 
Another time we will fight again, till fate separate us, and 



8 Adverbially — cuttingly. 

9 As if their authority was derived from Jove — like that of kings. 

1 i. c. intelligent — or rather discreet persons, who did not go beyond their 

warrant. 2 The heralds were of course elderly men. 

3 A proverbial expression. 4 To propose these things. 



152 ILIAD VII.— V. 292—322. 

give victory to one or the other. But night is now at 
hand; and it is good to obey night — that thou mayst cheer 
all the Achaeans at the ships, especially thy friends and 

295 the comrades whom thou hast 5 , and I cheer the Trojans 
and long-robed Trojan women in the vast city of king 
Priam, who have entered the heavenly shrine, praying for 

300 me 6 . And come, let us both give noble gifts to each other, 
that Achaeans 7 and Trojans may thus say — they fought 
indeed in deadly strife, and then, reconciled, they separated 
in friendship." 

Thus then having spoken, he gave his silver-hilted sword, 

305 presenting it with the sheath and well-made belt ; and 
Ajax gave a scarlet 8 baldrick. 

•\" Then separating, the one went to the people of the 
Achaeans, and the other went to the crowd of Trojans; and 
they were delighted when they saw him approaching, alive 

310 and unhurt, having escaped the might and invincible hands 
of Ajax ; and they led him to the city, not hoping that he 
would be safe 9 . On the other side, the well-armed Achaeans 
conducted Ajax, joyful with victory, to noble Agamemnon. 
And when now they were in the tents of Atrides, the king 

315 of men, Agamemnon sacrificed for them an ox, a male, five 
years old, to the almighty son of Saturn. This they skin- 
ned and prepared *, and cut it all up into quarters, and 
then skilfully separated them into small pieces, and pierced 
them with spits, and carefully dressed them, and drew 
them all off again. And after they had ceased from labour, 

320 and prepared the feast, they feasted, nor were their ap- 
petites without a due share of the feast 2 . And the hero, 
the son of Atreus, the wide-ruling Agamemnon, honoured t 



5 Who may be to thee. 

6 Alluding to the procession of Hecuba and the Trojan ladies, Z. 296, &c. 

7 rig Axaiojv, &c. 

8 Shining with scarlet. 

9 i. e. who had despaired of his safety. 

1 Were busy about it — probably washing the carcase — removing the blood, 
&.C 2 daiTog tiarjg. 



ILIAD VII. — V. 323 — 350. 153 

Ajax with the whole loins 3 . Then when they had taken 
a\va\ the desire of eating and drinking, the aged Nes- 
tor, whose advice also had before appeared best, first 3,25 
began to suggest a plan. He harangued them wisely, 
and said: 

" Atrides, and ye other chiefs of all the Achaeans, many 
long-haired Achaeans are dead, — their dark blood, around 
the sweet-flowing Scamander, Mars has cruelly shed, and 330 
their souls have descended to Hades. Therefore it becomes 
thee, to suspend the war of the Achaeans in the morning ; 
and we, assembled, will wheel hither the bodies with oxen 
and mules ; and burn them at a little distance from the 
ships, that each may carry home the bones to the children, 335 
when we again return to our native land — and, raising it, 
we will pile up on the plain one common tomb around the 
funeral pyre ; and close to it we will quickly build lofty 
towers *, to be a defence for the ships and for ourselves. 
And in them let us make gates well fitted, that through 340 
them there may be a pass for the cars and horses ; and 
close to them we will dig a deep ditch outside, which, ex- 
tending to each end 5 , will keep off horses and men, that 
the war of the haughty Trojans may not overwhelm us." 

Thus he spake, and all the kings approved. In the 
mean time there was, in the Acropolis of Ilium, an 345 
assembly of Trojans, fierce and noisy, by the gates 
of Priam; and the prudent Antenor began to harangue 
them : 

" Hear me, ye Trojans, Dardans, and allies, whilst I 
speak what my soul within my bosom prompts. Come 
then, let us restore Argive Helen, and her possessions 350 

3 The viaTov is the part between the shoulders ; Ajax's portion was what 
a butcher would call the fore-loins — the ribs. The extraordinary share 
enabled him to compliment his friends. 

4 Or rather, one wall, with turrets at intervals. See lines 436, 7- 

5 an<piQ is more frequently used for at each end of a thing, than for all 
round. The wall and the ditch extended from one point of the shore to 
another, like a crescent, which enclosed within its concavity the huts and 
ships. 



154 ILIAD VII.— V. 351—378. 

with her, to the Atreidae, to carry off ; for now we fight, 
having violated our oaths of compacts ; wherefore I have 
no hope that any more good will be done by us, unless we 
act thus \" 

He indeed, thus speaking, sat down; but the noble 

355 Alexander arose among them, the husband of the fair- 
haired Helen, and he, answering him, uttered these winged 
words : 

" Antenor, thou no longer speakest what is agreeable to 
me 7 . Thou mightest have known how to invent another 

360 speech, better than this. But if indeed thou sayst this 
seriously, then indeed the gods themselves have taken from 
thee thy senses. Therefore I will address the Trojans, 
tamers of horses ; and I say the very reverse — -I will not 
restore the lady ; but all the treasures, as many as I brought 
from Argos to our house, I am willing to restore, and to 
add even others of my own *." 

Then he thus speaking, sat down : and among them 

365 arose Priam, son of Dardanus, a counsellor equal to the 
gods, who harangued them with prudence, and said : 

" Hear me, ye Trojans, Dardans, and allies, whilst I 
speak the things which my soul in my bosom bids me. 
Take now your supper throughout the city, as heretofore, 

370 and be mindful of the watch, and keep awake, each of 
you. And in the morning let Idasus go to the hollow 
ships, to make 9 to the sons of Atreus, Agamemnon and 
Menelaus, the proposal of Alexander, on whose account 
the contest first began. And also to make this prudent 
request 1 , that they will consent to desist from horrid- 

375 sounding war, until we burn the dead — afterwards we will 
again fight till fate separate us, and give victory to one 
side or the other." 

Thus he spake ; and they listened attentively to him, 



6 i. e. as he advises. 

7 i. e. you no longer talk to please me — you used to be wiser ; but if you 
are serious, &c. » From my house. 

9 Speak. i Speak this prudent word. 



ILIAD VII.— V. 379—410. 155 

and obeyed. Then they took supper throughout the army 
in companies ; and in the morning Idaeus repaired to the 380 
hollow ships. And he found the Danaans, servants of 
Mars, in assembly at the stern of Agamemnon's ship ; 
and the eloquent herald, standing in the midst, addressed 
them : 

u Ye sons of Atreus, and other chiefs of all the Achaeans, 385 
Priam has ordered me, and with him the other noble Tro- 
jans, to make, if it be agreeable and desirable to you, 
the proposal of Alexander, on account of whom the con- 
test began. The treasures which Alexander brought with 
him to Troy in his hollow ships, (would that he first had 390 
perished,) he is willing to restore them all, and even to add 
others of his own ; but the young spouse of the noble 
Menelaus, he says, he will not restore — although the Tro- 
jans certainly advise him. They also charged me to make 
this request — that you will consent to cease from horrid- 395 
sounding battle, whilst we burn the dead : afterwards we 
will again fight, until fate separate us, and give victory to 
one side or other." 

Thus he spake, and they were quietly all silent : but at 
length the gallant Diomedes addressed them : 

" Let none now accept either the treasures of Alexander, 400 
or Helen ; for it is manifest even to him, who is quite 
an infant, that final destruction 2 impends over the 
Trojans." 

Thus he spake, and all the sons of the Achaeans shouted, 
admiring the speech of Diomedes, tamer of horses ; and 405 
then king Agamemnon addressed Idaeus : 

" Idaeus, truly thou thyself hearest the speech of the 
Achaeans, how they answer thee; and thus also does it 
please me. But for the dead, I do not at all oppose their 
being burnt. For about dead carcases, there is no reluc- 
tance with us, to give them the benefit of fire, when once 410 

- The ends of destruction. 



156 ILIAD VII.— V. 411—436. 

men are dead 3 . Let high-thundering Jove then, the hus- 
band of Juno, be witness 4 to the compact." 

Thus saying, he raised his sceptre to all the gods 5 ; and 
Idaeus went back to sacred Ilium. But the Trojans and 

415 Dardans sat in assembly, all collected, expecting when 
Idaeus should arrive ; and he came and reported his mes- 
sage, standing in the midst. Then they got ready 6 for 
both purposes very speedily, some to fetch the dead, and 
others to go to the forest 7 ; and the Argives on the other 

420 side^ from the well-benched ships, bestirred themselves, 
some to fetch their dead, and others to go to the forest. 

The sun was afterwards newly striking the fields, as- 
cending the sky from the soft-flowing 8 deep ocean ; and 
they met each other 9 . There it was difficult to distin- 

425 guish 1 each man ; but washing the bloody gore from them 
with water, they placed them upon cars, shedding hot 
tears. Nor did the mighty Priam suffer the Trojans to 
weep 2 ; but in silence they heaped the bodies upon the 
funeral pile, grieved in their hearts; and having burnt 

430 them with fire, returned to sacred Ilium. In like manner, 
on the other side, the well-armed Achaeans heaped the 
bodies upon the funeral pile, grieved in their hearts ; and 
having burnt them with fire, returned to the hollow ships. 
And when it was not yet morning 3 , but still twilight *, 
then a chosen body of Achaeans collected round the 
funeral pyre ; and around it they made one common tomb, 

435 raising it up on the plain ; and close to it they built the 



3 Agamemnon cares nothing about the disposal of the enemy's dead — his 
only concern is that they should die. 

4 Know. 5 i. e. in attestation. 

6 Armed — i. e. provided themselves with carriages and implements. 

7 i. e. for wood. 8 The flow of the tide. 

9 i. e. the Trojans and Achseans — who went to the same forest for fuel. 

1 Trojan and Achaean — engaged in similar offices. 

2 i. e. to make the usual cries of funeral grief. 

3 i. e. the next day — clay after the conflagration of the bodies. 
1 a}i(pi\vKr} — night was getting light about it — the dawn. 



ILIAD VII.-—V. 437—470. 157 

wall ' and the lofty towers, a protection for themselves and 
the ships. And in them they made gates well fitted, that 
through them there might be a pass for the horses ; and 44Q 
near it they dug a deep ditch outside, wide and large, and 
fixed stakes in it. Thus the long-haired Greeks laboured. 

But the gods, sitting beside the thunderer, Jove, beheld 
with wonder the mighty work of the brazen-mailed 
Achaeans. And Neptune, shaker of tke earth, began to 445 
speak among them : 

" Father Jove, is there any one of the mortals upon the 
boundless earth, who will henceforth declare his mind or 
purpose to the immortals? Seest thou not how, at last, 
the long-haired Achaeans have built a wall before their 
ships, and drawn a ditch about it, and have given no noble 450 
hecatombs to the gods ? Surely the glory of this will be 
as far as the light is diffused, and men will forget that, 
which I and Phoebus Apollo, toiling, erected round the 
city, for the hero Laomedon." 

And him, the cloud-collecting Jove, much troubled, ad- 
dressed : " O, earth-shaking Neptune, what hast thou 455 
said ! Some other of the gods indeed, who is much weaker 
than thou in strength 6 and in power, might dread this 
scheme 7 . But thy glory will surely last as long as light 
is diffused. However, when, again, the long-haired 
Achaeans shall depart in their ships for their loved native 460 
land, do thou, breaking down the wall, overwhelm it all in 
the sea ; and cover again the vast shore with sand, so that 
the mighty wall of the Achaeans vanish." 

Thus such words they addressed to each other. And 
the sun set, and the work of the Achaeans was completed. 465 
And they slew oxen at the tents, and took supper. And 
ships arrived from Lemnos, bringing wine, many, which 
Euneus had dispatched, the son of Jason, whom Hypsi- 
pyle bore to Jason, shepherd of the people. And the son 470 

5 The wall itself— the said wall. 

6 Hands. 

7 Work planned and executed by the Achteans. 



158 ILIAD VII.— V. 471—483. 

of Jason gave wine, a thousand measures, to take sepa- 
rately 8 to the sons of Atreus, Agamemnon and Menelaus. 
There then the long-haired Achaeans purchased wine, some 
for brass, some for shining iron, some for hides, some for 

475 the oxen themselves, and some for slaves ; aud they made 
a splendid feast. 

Then all night the long-haired Achaeans feasted; but 
the Trojans and allies were in the city. And all night 
the wise Jove was planning evils against them, thundering 
fearfully, and pale fear seized them. And they poured 

480 wine from their cups upon the ground ; nor ventured any 
one to drink, before he made a libation to the almighty 
son of Saturn. Afterwards they lay down, and took the 
gift of sleep. 

8 As a present to the commanders. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER. 



BOOK VIII. 



ARGUMENT. 



Jove calls a council, in which he forhids all interference of the gods 
between the Greeks and Trojans. He repairs to Ida, where, having 
consulted the scales of destiny, he directs his lightning against the 
Grecians. Nestor is endangered by the death of one of his horses. 
Diomedes delivers him. In the chariot of Dioniedes they both hasten to 
engage Hector, whose charioteer is slain by Diomedes. Jupiter again 
interposes by his thunders, and the whole Grecian host, discomfited, is 
obliged to seek refuge within the rampart. Diomedes, with others, at 
sight of a favourable omen sent from Jove in answer to Agamemnon's 
prayer, sallies. Teucer performs great exploits, but is disabled by 
Hector. Juno and Pallas set forth from Olympus in aid of the Grecians, 
but are stopped by Jupiter, who reascends from Ida, and in heaven 
foretels the distresses which await the Grecians. 

Hector takes measures for the security of Troy during the night, and 
prepares his host for an assault to be made on the Grecian camp in the 
morning. 



Now was the morning with saffron-veil diffused over the 
whole earth, and Jove, delighting in thunder, made an 
assembly of the gods upon the highest summit of the 
many-topped Olympus : and he harangued them, and all 
the gods listened together : 

" Hear me, all ye gods and all ye goddesses, whilst I 
speak the things, which my soul within my breast bids 

12 



160 ILIAD VIII.— V. 8 — 39. 

me. Nor let any goddess nor god * attempt to violate this 
my charge ; but concur all of you together, that I may, as 

10 soon as possible, accomplish these operations. And which- 
ever of the gods I shall observe planning apart from the 
gods 2 , going to assist either Trojans or Danaans, struck, 
not to his credit, shall he return to Olympus ; — or, seizing 
him, I will cast him into dark Tartarus, very far down, 

15 where is the lowest depth beneath the earth, — where are 
iron gates and brazen threshold, as far below Hades as 
heaven is from earth ; then he will know how much I am 
the most powerful of all the gods. And come, if you doubt 
of it, make trial, gods, that ye may all know, — hanging a 

20 golden chain from heaven ; and fasten yourselves to it, all 
ye gods, and all ye goddesses ; yet will ye not drag down 
Jove, the highest counsellor, from heaven to earth, not 
even if ye labour ever so much. But when I should 
choose to seriously draw, I could draw you, earth and all 

25 — sea and all 3 ; and then bind the chain round the pin- 
nacle of Olympus, and all should be suspended in the air. 
So much am I above gods and above men/' 

Thus he spake, and they were quietly all silent, wonder- 
ing at the speech, for he spake very sternly ; but at length 

30 the blue-eyed goddess Minerva said : 

" O son of Saturn, our father, highest of kings, well do 
we know that thy strength is invincible ; yet truly we 
mourn for the warlike Danaans, who will now perish, ful- 

35 filling their evil destiny. But however we will abstain 
from war, if thou commandest it; and will only suggest 
counsel to the Argives — counsel which may be of service, 
that they may not all perish, because thou art angry \" 

And the cloud-collecting Jove, smiling, addressed her : 
Take courage, Tritogeneia, my beloved child ; I speak not 

1 Nor let any female god, nor any male. 

2 Join cnravevOe eOeXovra — willing apart — '%. e. following his own will in 
opposition to mine. 

3 Along with earth itself — and sea itself. 

4 Thou being angry. 



ILIAD VIII.— V. 40— 71. 161 

with an hostile mind to thee, for I wish to be indulgent to 40 
thee." 

Thus saying, he yoked to his car swift-flying, brazen- 
footed horses, with golden manes 5 ; and himself put golden 
mail round his body, and took his well-made golden lash, 
and ascended the car, and he flogged them to proceed ; and 45 
they, not unwilling, flew midway between the earth and 
the starry heaven. And he came to Ida of many foun- 
tains, mother of wild-beasts, to Gargarus, where he had 
a shrine 6 and fragrant altar, There the father of gods 
and men stopped his horses, loosing them from the car, 50 
and threw r a thick cloud around them. And he sat down 
upon the summits, exulting in glory, beholding the city 
of the Trojans, and the ships of the Achaeans. 

Meanwhile the long-haired Achaeans hastily took their 
meals at the tents, and afterw r ards put on their armour. 
And, on the other side, the Trojans through the city 55 
armed, fewer in number ; but even thus were they eager 
to contend in battle, from strong necessity, for their wives 
and children. And all the gates were thrown open, and 
the people rushed out, both foot and horse, and a great 
tumult arose. And when meeting they now came into 60 
one place, they dashed together their shields, and spears, 
and the might of men, armed in brazen corselets ; and their 
bossy shields were close to each other, and a great tumult 
arose. 

Then there was at once a groaning, and a shouting of 
men, of the killing and of the killed ; and the earth flowed 65 
with blood. As long as it was morning, and the sacred 
day was increasing 7 so long weapons flew on both sides, 
and people fell; but when the sun w r as crossing the 
mid-heaven, then the Father held up his golden scales. 
And in them he placed two destinies of eternal 8 death 70 
belonging to the Trojan chivalry, and the brazen-mailed 

1 Mailed — or haired — with golden manes. 

r A consecrated spot — a grave and altar. Gargarus is one of the heights 
oJ Ida. 7 i. e. from morn till noon. 8 Long reposing. 

M 



162 ILIAD VIII.— V. 72—97. 

Achaeans 9 , and sustained them, taking the beam by the 
middle, and the fatal day of the Achaeans inclined. The 
destinies of the Achaeans sunk upon the bountiful earth, 
but those of the Trojans mounted up to the broad 
heaven. 

75 And he himself loudly thundered from Ida, and sent the 
blazing flash among the people of the Achaeans, and they, 
beholding it, were astounded, and pale terror seized upon 
all. Then neither Idomeneus ventured to remain, nor 
Agamemnon, nor did the two Ajaxes remain, the servants 

80 of Mars ; and Gerenean Nestor, a guardian of the Achaeans, 
alone remained, not willingly ', but his horse was exhausted 
— that which the noble Alexander, the husband of the 
fair-haired Helen, wounded with an arrow on the top 2 of 
the head, where the forelocks of horses grow upon the 

85 skull, and is especially fatal. With the pain 3 , he reared 
up, for the weapon penetrated into the brain; and he 
threw into disorder the horses along with him, rolling on 
the spear*. Whilst the old man, in haste, was cutting 
away the traces 5 of the horse with his sword, came the 

90 swift horses of Hector through the crowd, carrying Hector, 
their bold driver ; and then would the old man have lost 
his life, had not the gallant Diomedes quickly perceived it, 
and shouted terribly, exhorting Ulysses : 

" Son of Laertes, Jove-sprung, wise Ulysses, whither 

95 dost thou fly, turning thy back 6 , like a coward, in the line ? 
Take care lest some one fix a spear in thy back whilst thou 
art flying 7 . But stay, that we may repulse that fierce 
warrior from the old man." 



9 It is the fates of the chiefs only that is regarded. The Tpwec Xtttto- 
dafioi are always the chiefs ; and the term Achaeans applies, for the most 
part, exclusively to the chiefs, especially coupled with x a ^ K0 X lTb,vs Q' 

1 Not wishing it. 2 On the highest summit. 

3 a\yr)<rag — being in pain. 

* i. e. the spear which stuck in his brain — he is trying to shake it off. 

5 7rapyopiag, scil. rjviag. The wounded horse was a ffapyopog — i. e. a 
third horse, which went abreast with the other two. 

6 Throwing round thy back. 7 To thee flying. 



ILIAD VIII.— V. 9S— 129. 163 

Thus he spake ; and the intrepid, noble Ulysses heard 
him not. and passed on in haste to the hollow ships of the 
Acha\ins. But Tydides, although alone, rushed among 8 
the foremost combatants, and stood before the horses of the 100 
aged son of Neleus, addressing him, said these winged 
words : 

" Oh ! old man, young warriors now press thee hard. 
For thy strength is relaxed, and cruel old age overtakes 
thee ; and thy driver too is weak, and thy horses are 105 
slow. Come, then, ascend my car, that thou mayst see 
what the Trojan horses are, how fleetly 9 they come 
along the plain, hither and thither, chase or fly — the 
horses which, masters of speed, I lately took from JEneas. 
Those let our drivers attend to ; but these thou and I will 110 
direct against the Trojan chiefs, that Hector likewise may 
know whether my spear also rages in my hands V 

Thus he spake ; nor did the Gerenian chief, Nestor, re- 
fuse. Then the two drivers, brave Sthenelus, and good 
Eurymedon, took charge of Nestor's horses; but them- 
selves both mounted the car of Diomedes. And Nestor 115 
took the splendid reins in his hands, and lashed the 
horses ; and speedily were they close to Hector. And the 
son of Tydeus hurled his spear at him, as he came rushing 
straight on ; and however missed him ; but his attendant 
driver, Eniopeus, son of the brave Thebseus, holding the 120 
reins of the horses, he struck on the breast, near the pap. 
And he fell from the car, and the swift-footed horses 
started back ; and there his life and strength were re- 
laxed. Then deep sorrow clouded the soul of Hector for 
his charioteer; but he left him, although grieved for his 125 
comrade, there to lie ; and sought for another bold driver ; 
nor were his horses long without a guide, for soon he 
found the brave Archeptolemus, the son of Iphitus, whom 
he caused to mount the swift-footed horses 2 , and gave the 
reins into his hands. 

8 Was mixed with. ° To pursue. 

1 i. e. like Hector's own. 2 ;. e. of course, the car. 

M 2 



164 ILIAD VIII.— V. 130—160. 

130 Then would there have been destruction, and fatal 3 
deeds would have been done; and they (the Trojans) had 
now been penned up in Ilium, like lambs, had not the 
father of gods and of men quickly observed it : and thun- 
dering fearfully^ sent forth a blazing bolt, and cast it on 

] 35 the ground in front of the horses of Diomedes, and a ter- 
rible flame of burning sulphur arose. And the horses, 
trembling, slunk under the car, and the splendid reins 
dropped from the hands of Nestor ; and he feared in his 
heart, and addressed Diomedes : 

" Son of Tydeus, come, then, turn the solid-hoofed 

140 horses to flight. Knowest thou not that victory accom- 
panies thee not from Jove ? For now to-day Jove, the 
son of Saturn, gives glory to him ; another time will he 
again to us, if he shall choose, give it : but man, not even 
the bravest, can, by any means, control the will of Jove, 
since he is much the more powerful." 

145 Then the gallant Diomedes replied: iC surely, old man, 
all these things thou sayest rightly ; but this comes a bitter 
pang to my heart and soul, for Hector will say, haranguing 
among the Trojans: 'the son of Tydeus, routed by me, 

150 betook himself to the ships/ Thus will he boast ; and then 
may the wide earth gape for me." 

And him then the Gerenean chief, Nestor, answered: "Oh! 
son of the warlike Tydeus, what hast thou said ? For even 
if Hector shall call thee cowardly and impotent, still the 

155 Trojans and Dardans will not believe it, nor the wives of 
the brave shielded Trojans — those whose young husbands 
thou hast hurled in the dust." 

Thus then having spoken, he turned the solid-hoofed 
horses to flight, back to the rout 4 ; and at them the Trojans 
and Hector, with a great clamour, threw their fatal 5 wea- 

160 pons. And the mighty-helmed Hector called aloud after 



him 



3 a\i.r\x<xva — without a remedy. 

4 I. e. When the rest were hi the disorder of flight. 

5 Groan-producing. 



ILIAD VIII. — V. 161 — .91. 165 

w Sod of Tjrdeus, the noble e Danaans honoured thee be- 
yond others with precedence, with meats, and full cups ; 
but now they will no longer honour thee 7 , for thou art no 
better than a woman. Begone, timid girl, for thou shalt 165 
never ascend our towers by my retreat 8 , nor carry off our 
women in thy ships : I will first give thee thy fate." 

Thus he spake ; and Tydides debated, whether to turn 
his horses, and fight against him. Thrice did he hesitate 
in his mind and in his soul, and thrice, too, did Jove, the 170 
counsellor, thunder from the Idaean mountains, giving a 
sign to the Trojans of victory by his aid 9 in fight. And 
Hector encouraged the Trojans, shouting loud : 

" Trojans and Lycians, and close-fighting Dardans, be 
men, my friends, and remember your vigorous valour. 175 
For I know that the propitious son of Saturn grants x vic- 
tory and great glory to me, and destruction to the Da- 
naans. Fools, who have built these poor, worthless walls 
— these shall not check my might; and my horses will 
easily overleap the dug ditch. But when now I am at the 
hollow ships, then let there be some recollection of blazing 180 
fire 2 , that I may burn up the ships with fire, and slaughter 
the Argives themselves at the ships, smothered in the 
smoke." 

Thus saying, he exhorted his horses, and said : " Xan- 
thus, and thou Podargus, and ^Ethon, and noble Lampus, 185 
now requite me for the very great care, with which, An- 
dromache, the daughter of the brave Eetion, gave the 
sweet barley to you, mixing also wine for you to drink, when 
thirst bade you — even before me, who boast to be her 
vigorous husband. And pursue and hasten, that we may 190 
seize Nestor* s shield, the fame of which reaches to heaven, 



6 i. e. men with fleet horses — the chiefs. 

7 Will not honour — will dishonour — will treat with contempt. 

8 I retreating. 

9 Victory an auxiliary of battle — i. e. a sign which betokened victory. 
See H. 26. l Nodded — confirmed with a nod. 

2 i. e. remember and let me have fire-brands. 



166 ILIAD VIII.— V. 192—219. 

that it is all gold, both its handles and itself; and likewise 
strip from the shoulders of Diomedes the curiously- wrought 

195 corselet, which Vulcan toiled to make. Could we but 
seize both these 3 , I should hope that the Achaeans, this 
very night, would embark in their swift ships." 

Thus he spake, boasting ; and imperial Juno was indig- 
nant, and she turned 4 in her throne, and made the huge 
Olympus tremble, and then addressed herself to Neptune, 

200 the mighty god : 

" O ! strong earth-shaker, grieves not thy soul within 
thy bosom for the perishing Achaeans ? For they bring 
thee many and agreeable gifts to Helice and ^Egae — do 

205 thou then desire victory for them. For if we, as many as 
are patrons of the Danaans, should desire to repel the 
Trojans, and oppose the far-sounding Jove, sitting there 
alone upon Ida, he might fret, to no purpose" 

And king Neptune, greatly indignant, replied : " Juno, 
rash in speech, what words hast thou spoken ! I would 

210 not myself desire that the rest of us should contend with 
Jove, the son of Saturn, for he is by far the most power- 
ful." 

Such things thus spake they to one another. Mean- 
while 5 the space, which the ditch belonging to the rampart 6 
separated from the ships, was filled at the same time with 

215 horses and shielded men crowded together; for Hector, 
the son of Priam, equal to swift Mars, drove them thither, 
when Jove gave him glory. And now would he have 
consumed the good ships with blazing fire, had not 
imperial Juno put it into the heart of Agamemnon, him- 
self intent upon the object, forthwith to rouse up the 
Achaeans 7 . 

3 Nestor and Diomedes. 

4 i. e. from impatience. 

5 To>v goes with itttcmv and avdpojv. 

6 L e. the space between the entrenchment and the ditch — arro compounds 
with eepyio. 

7 i. e. the troops which were at the ships and tents — between the sea and 
the rampart. 



ILIAD VIII.— -V. 220—219. 167 

And lie hastened to the tents and ships of the Achaeans, 220 
holding in his strong hand a large purple flag 8 . And he 
stood upon the huge blaek ship of Ulysses, which was in 
the centre, that he might be heard 9 at both extremities — 
both at the tent of the Telamonian Ajax, and at that of 225 
Achilles, who had drawn ashore their good ships at the 
flanks, trusting to their valour and the strength of their 
hands. And he cried with a loud voice, exclaiming to the 
Danaans : 

" For shame, ye Argives, base cowards, gallant in ap- 
pearance only ; what has become of the boasts — when we 
said we were the bravest — which once in Lemnos, vapour- 230 
ing, ye uttered, whilst eating much flesh of horned cattle, 
and drinking goblets crowned with wine, that ye would 
stand in battle, each against a hundred or two of the Tro- 
jans ? But now we are not worth one Hector, who will 235 
soon burn our ships with blazing fire. O father Jove, 
whom of all-powerful kings, hast thou ever afflicted with 
such a calamity, or taken from him so great glory ? Never, 
I affirm, did I pass by thy splendid altars, in my many- 
benched ship, unhappily coming hither l ; but upon all of 
them I burnt the fat and legs of oxen, expecting to destroy 240 
well-built Troy. Then, father Jove, accomplish this prayer 
at least for me ; suffer ourselves at all events to escape, 
and get away ; nor let the Achaeans be thus subdued by 
the Trojans. 

Thus he spake, and the Father pitied him thus weeping, 245 
and consented that his people should be safe^ and not 
perish. And forthwith he sent an eagle, the most perfect 2 
of birds, holding in his talons a fawn, the young of a swift 
deer. And he dropped the fawn by the splendid altar of 



8 L e. to draw attention — he was going to harangue. 

9 Speak so as to he heard, &c. 

1 i. e. hi my unlucky expedition to this place. 



with reference to augury — the most authentic — what gave the 



surest augury. 



168 ILIAD VIII.— V. 250—278. 

250 Jove, where the Achaeans used to sacrifice to Jove, the 
source of all augury. 

And they, when they saw that the bird had come from 
Jove, rushed the more upon the Trojans, and renewed 3 
the combat. Then no one of the Danaans, numerous as 
they were, could boast that he, before Tydides, had started 

255 his fleet horses, and driven them over the ditch 4 , and 
fought against 5 the enemy; for he far the first slew an 
armed warrior of the Trojans, Agelaus, son of Phradmon. 
He was turning his horses for flight ; but whilst he was 
turning 6 , Diomedes fixed the spear into his back between 
the shoulders, and it ran through his breast ; and he fell 

260 from his car, and his armour rattled on him. And after 
him came the two sons of Atreus, Agamemnon and Mene- 
laus ; and after them the Ajaxes, men of resolute vigour 7 ; 
and after them Idomeneus, and the comrade of Idomeneus, 
Meriones, equal to Mars, the slayer of men; and after 

265 these Eurypylus, the renowned son of Evaemon. And 
Teucer came, ninth, stretching his bent bow ; and he 
stood behind the shield of the Telamonian Ajax. There 
Ajax held his shield before him; and the hero (Teucer) 

270 looking round, when, shooting, he had struck any one in 
the ranks — he (the ivounded man) falling there, lost his life, 
and he (Teucer) returning again, like a child to its 
mother, — took shelter behind 8 Ajax; and he covered 
him with his shining shield. 

There which of the Trojans first did the renowned 

275 Teucer slay? First Orsilochus, and Ormenus, and Ophe- 
lestes, and Dastor, and Chromius, and godlike Lycophontes, 
and Hamopaon, son of Polyaemon, and Melanippus — all, 
one after the other, he stretched upon the bountiful earth. 
And the king of men, Agamemnon, was delighted, behold- 



3 Were mindful of. 4 i. e. back to the plain — the field of battle. 

5 close — hand to hand. 

6 But to him turned round. 7 Clothed — endowed with. 
8 Went under. 



ILIAD VIII.— V. 279—312. 169 

ing him destroying the phalanxes of the Trojans with his 
strong bow ; and advancing, he stood by him, and ad- 280 
dressed him in this speech : 

"Telamonian Teucer, my dear friend 9 , commander of 
men, thus strike if thou wouldst become an honour to the 
Danaans, and to thy father Telamon, who nourished thee 
when young, and took care of thee in his own house, 
although a bastard ; him, even far away as he is, do thou 285 
laise to glory. And I promise 1 thee, and it shall be 
accomplished — if ever aegis-bearing Jove and Minerva 
grant me to sack the well-built town of Ilium, — into thy 
hands, first after myself, will I put some noble prize — a 
tripod, or two horses with their car, or a dame to ascend 290 
the same bed with thee/' 

And renowned Teucer, answering him, said : " Most 
glorious Atrides, why urgest thou me, myself already 
eager ? For never, as far as I am able 2 , do I remit — and 
ever since we have driven them back towards Ilium, do I 
take men off with my bow, singling them out. Eight 295 
long-pointed arrows have I shot, and they have all stuck 
in the bodies of warlike youths; but that mad dog I 
cannot strike." 

He said; and another arrow from the string he shot 300 
right against Hector, and his soul was eager to strike him. 
And he missed him again ; but the noble Gorgythion, a 
brave son of Priam, on the breast he struck with the arrow 
— him in wedlock his mother bore, a lady of iEsymna, the 
beautiful Castianeira, like to the goddesses in form. And 305 
as a poppy hangs its head on one side, one in a garden 
weighed down with its fruit, and vernal showers — so he 
dropped his head on one side, weighed down with the 
helmet. And Teucer another arrow from the string shot 
right against Hector, and his soul desired to strike him; 310 
and then again also he missed, for Apollo turned it aside ; 
but Archeptolemus, Hector's bold driver, whilst rushing 

9 Dear head. J Tell thee. 

2 As much power as there is in me. 



170 ILIAD VIII.— V. 313—344. 

on to battle, he struck upon the breast, near the pap. 
And he fell from the car, and back sprang the swift-footed 
horses; and there his life and strength were relaxed 3 . 

315 And a sharp pang wrung Hector's heart, for his driver; 
but him he then left, although afflicted for his comrade ; 
and bade his brother Cebriones, being near, take the reins 
of the horses ; and he, having heard the bidding, did not 

320 refuse. But Hector himself leaped from the shining car 
to the ground, shouting horribly ; and he seized a stone in 
his hand, and went straight at Teucer, and his mind im- 
pelled him to throw it \ 

Teucer, meanwhile, drew out a dire arrow from the 
quiver, and placed it upon the string; and him, whilst 

325 drawing it back, the plumed Hector, upon the shoulder, 
where the collar-bone separates neck and breast, where it is 
most fatal — there, whilst taking aim at himself, with the 
rugged stone, struck. And it broke the string, and be- 
numbed his hand at the wrist; and he fell on his knees 5 , 

330 and the bow dropped from his hand. And Ajax was not 
unmindful of his fallen brother; but running protected 
him, and covered him with his shield. Then his two chosen 
comrades, Mecisteus, son of Echius, and the noble Alastor, 
raising him up, bore him to the hollow ships, deeply 

335 groaning. 

But again the Olympian roused up the courage of the 
Trojans, and they drove back the Achaeans straight to the 
deep ditch ; and Hector advanced among the foremost, 
raging in his might. And as when some dog, trusting in 

340 his swift feet 6 , seizes from behind the haunch or hips of 
a wild boar or a lion, and watches him turning round, so 
Hector pursued the long-haired Achasans, ever killing the 
hindmost; for they fled. And after they had crossed 7 



3 i. e. body and soul released — set loose from the bonds which held them 
together. * i. e. he put his whole soul in it. 

5 Stood, falling or resting on his knees. 6 i. e. making use of his speed. 

7 By the roads which led to the gates — i. e. if there was more than one. 
See H. 340. 



ILIAD VIII.— V. 345—372. 171 

the palisades and ditch 9 , flying, and many were subdued 
by the hands of the Trojans, they stopt, abiding at the 345 
ships 9 ; and encouraging each other, and lifting up their 
hands to all the gods, they prayed aloud each of them. 
And Hector drove his beautiful horses round on all sides, 
with the eyes of a Gorgon, or of Mars, destroyer of men. 350 

And the white-armed goddess Juno beholding them, 
pitied them, and immediately spoke winged words to 
Minerva : 

"Oh ! child of aegis-bearing Jove, shall we two no longer 
regard the perishing Danaans, although in the last extre- 
mity ? Fulfilling their evil destiny, they will perish by the 
violence of one man ; for Hector, son of Priam, rages in a 355 
manner no longer to be resisted \ and has already done 
much mischief." 

And the blue-eyed goddess Minerva addressed her in 
return : a Long since would he have lost his life and 
strength, slain on his native soil, by the hands of the 
Argives ; but my father rages with an evil mind, — cruel, 360 
always unjust, an obstructor of all my efforts. Nor does 
he remember aught of those efforts, by which I very often 
preserved his son, when exhausted by the labours of Eu- 
rystheus. For he (Hercules) used to weep 2 towards hea- 
ven ; and Jove sent me down from heaven to bring him 365 
aid. Therefore if I had known these things 3 in my reso- 
lute mind, when he sent him to strong-gated Hades, to 
bring away out of Erebus the dog of terrible Hades, he 
should not have escaped over the deep streams of the 
Styx-water. And now he hates me, and accomplishes the 370 
counsels of Thetis, who embraced his knees, and took him 
by the beard with her hand, intreating him to honour 

8 i. e. the ditch in which were the palisades. 

9 As being on that side of the ditch — but strictly, between the ditch and 
the rampart. 

1 avEKTojQ — irresistibly. 

2 rjroi ic\au(JKov — imperfect — expressive of a habit or practice. Minerva 
says she helped him /xaXa 7ro\\aKig — very often. 

3 i. e. his obstruction of her present views. 



172 ILIAD VIII.— V. 373—399. 

Achilles, the destroyer of cities. The time, however, will 
come 4 , when he will again call me his dear Minerva. Yoke 
now then thy solid-hoofed horses for us, whilst I, entering 

375 the mansion of aegis-bearing Jove, put on my armour for 
the war, that I may see whether Priam's son, the plumed 
Hector, will be delighted, when we appear 5 in the field 6 of 
battle. Truly some 7 of the Trojans with their fat and 

380 flesh will glut the dogs and birds, falling at the ships of 
the Achaeans." 

Thus she spake ; nor did the white-armed goddess Juno 
refuse. Then Juno, the elder goddess, daughter of the 
mighty Saturn, departing, harnessed the golden-reined 
horses ; and Minerva, daughter of aegis-bearing Jove, 
upon the floor of her father's mansion, threw off the 

385 beautiful variegated robe, that which she herself had made, 
and worked with her own hands; and putting on the 
tunic, with the weapons of cloud-collecting Jove, she armed 
herself for tearful battle. And into the flaming car she 

390 stept, and seized her spear, heavy, large, and strong, with 
which she subdues the ranks of heroes, with whom she, 
the offspring of a powerful father, is angry. And Juno 
quickly urged on the horses with the lash ; and of their 
own accord grated 8 the gates of heaven, which the 
Hours kept, to whom are entrusted the mighty Heaven 

395 and Olympus, both to remove the dark cloud, and to 
replace it. Then, through these they drove the flogged 
horses. 

And when Jove, the father, from Ida beheld them, he 
was greatly enraged, and dispatched the golden-winged 
Iris with a message 9 : — i( Go, swift Iris, turn them back, 



4 There will be however — sc. a time. 

5 Trpoipavuaa— nom. absolute, where, in a more artificial construction, a 
dative would be employed. 

6 ystpvpaQ — strictly, the place between two armies preparing for conflict. 

7 rig Tpojojv — some one of ; but the phrase always involves plurality. 

8 i. e. flew open. 

9 Announcing. 



ILIAD VIII.— V. 400— 420. 173 

nor allow them to go on ; for not well ' shall we meet in 400 
battle. For thus 1 say, and it shall be accomplished: I 
will lame their swift horses for them, in 2 the car, and cast 
themselves from its seat, and dash the car itself in pieces ; 
nor for ten revolving 3 years will they be cured of the 405 
wounds which the thunderbolt will inflict 4 , that Minerva 
may know when she fights with her father 5 . With Juno 
I do not so much find fault, nor am I so angry with 
her, because she is ever wont to interfere with my de- 
sign s." 

Thus he spake, and Iris, swift as the storm, hastened 
to deliver the message ; and went from the Idaean moun- 410 
tains to lofty Olympus ; and meeting them in the first 
gates 6 of the many-valed Olympus, she stopped them, and 
delivered to them the command of Jove : 

a Whither hasten ye ? Why rage so your hearts in your 
bosoms ? The son of Saturn forbids 7 you to assist the 
Argives ; for thus threatens the son of Saturn — and 8 he 4^5 
will accomplish it — to lame your swift horses for you be- 
neath the chariot, and to cast yourselves from the seat, 
and to dash the car into pieces; nor for ten revolving 
years will ye be cured of the wounds which the thunder- 
bolt will inflict ; that thou, Minerva, mayst know when 420 
thou contendest with thy father. For Juno he does not 
so much blame, nor is he so angry with her, because she 
is ever wont to interfere with his designs. But thou, most 
insolent, and audacious dog 9 , wilt suffer for it, if thou 
shalt really dare to raise thy huge spear against Jove." 425 

Thus having spoken, the swift-footed Iris departed ; And 
Juno addressed this speech to Minerva : 

1 i. e. for thern. 2 Under — i. e. the yoke and pole of the car. 

3 Or revolved — i. e. complete years. 

4 Hit — as a mark. 5 i. e. that she is not his equal. 
6 L e. close to the gates. 7 Suffers not. 

8 tnrep is used in a conclusive sense, as often. 

9 Helen, speaking of herself as the source of many evils and miseries, 
uses the same word. vi. 344. Iris addresses Minerva surely, though Hcyne 
refers the words to Juno. 



174 ILIAD VIII.— V. 427—456. 

u Alas ! child of aegis-bearing Jove, I will no longer 
suffer us two to fight against Jove, for the sake of mortals. 
Of them let one perish, and another live, as each may 

430 chance ; and let him, prosecuting his own views, adjudge 
to the Trojans and Danaans, as it seems good to him \" 

Thus having spoken, she turned back the solid-hoofed 
horses. And the Hours loosed their beautiful horses for 
them, and fastened them up in their ambrosial stalls, and 

435 sent the chariot towards the shining walls. And they 
(Juno and Minerva) themselves sat down upon their golden 
thrones, mixed with the other gods, vexed at heart. 

And father Jove drove his fair-wheeled chariot and horses 
from Ida to Olympus, and came to the seats of the gods. 

440 And the illustrious earth-shaken 2 loosed his horses for 
him, and put the car in its place 3 , spreading it over 
with linen. And the far-sounding Jove himself sat down 
upon his golden throne, and mighty Olympus was 
shaken beneath his feet. But Minerva and Juno sat 

445 alone, apart from Jove, and neither spoke to him, nor 
asked a question ; and he knew in his mind the reason, 
and said : 

"Why are ye thus grieved, Minerva and Juno? You 
have not laboured long at least in glorious fight, slaughter- 
ing the Trojans, — against whom ye have conceived a cruel 

450 hatred ? Not at all — such is my strength and hands in- 
vincible — should they have turned me, as many gods as 
are in Olympus. Fear, however, seized the fair limbs of 
both of you before ye beheld the battle, or the sad deeds 
of war. For thus I tell you, and it would have been ac- 

455 complished — not in your car should you, struck with the 
thunderbolt, have returned to Olympus, where is the seat 
of the immortals." 

1 Let him decide, for the Trojans and Achseans, the things which he is 
planning in his mind. 

2 Neptune. 

3 aix(3ix)jxoi(Ti — for ava fiwfioig. BiOfiog means not only an altar, but any 
raised place upon which things were laid. 



ILIAD VIII.— V. 457—488. 175 

Thus he spake, and Minerva and Juno murmured, who 
were sitting near each other, and planning evils against 
the Trojans. Minerva indeed was silent, nor said any 
thing, although enraged with father Jove, and fierce resent- 460 
ment possessed her ; but Juno restrained not her indigna- 
tion within her breast, but said : 

u Imperious son of Saturn, what speech hast thou 
uttered ? Well indeed do we also know that thy strength 
is indomitable ; yet still are we grieved for the warlike 
Danaans, who will now perish, fulfilling their evil destiny. 465 
But, however, we will abstain from war, if thou command- 
est ; and will only to the Argives suggest counsel, which 
may be useful, that they may not all perish, because thou 
art angry V 

And her the cloud-collecting Jove answering said : " In 
the morning, still more, shalt thou behold, if thou wilt, 470 
fair and noble 5 Juno, the almighty son of Saturn destroy- 
ing much of the army of the Argive warriors ; for the gal- 
lant Hector shall not cease from battle, before the swift- 
footed son of Peleus be roused at the ships, on that day 
when they shall fight at their sterns, within a* very narrow 475 
compass 6 , for Patroclus slain. For thus is it decreed by 
fate: and thee, though angry, I regard not, not even if 
thou shouldst go 7 to the outermost boundaries of the 
earth and sea, where Iapetus and Saturn, sitting, enjoy 
neither the beams of the rising sun, nor the winds, for 480 
deep Tartarus is on all sides. Not if thither, roaming, thou 
shouldst go, do I heed thee, though enraged ; for nothing 
is more impudent than thou." 

Thus he spake, and the white-armed Juno answered not. 
And the splendid light of the sun sunk in the ocean, drag- 435 
ging black night over the fruitful earth. On the unwilling 
Trojans set the sun 8 ; but to the Achaeans, welcome, most 
desired, came black night on. 

4 Thou being angry. 5 /3 OW 7nc, -noTvia. 

G The narrowest strait. 

7 i. e. to stir up a n w rebellion against Jove. 8 Light. 

12 



176 ILIAD VIII.— V. 489—520. 

And again the illustrious Hector called a council of the 

490 Trojans, leading them, apart from the ships 9 , by the eddy- 
ing river, into an open space, where the ground appeared 
clear of dead. And alighting from their horses 1 on the 
ground, they listened to the speech, which Hector, beloved 
of Jove, uttered. And in his hand he held a spear eleven 

495 cubits long; and before him shone the brazen point of 
the spear, and a golden ring ran round it. Leaning upon 
this, he made a speech to the Trojans : — 

" Hear me, Trojans, Dardans, and allies. I did now 
hope that, destroying the ships and all the Achaeans, 
I should return back to windy Troy ; but darkness has 

500 first 2 come on, which mainly now has saved the Argives, 
and their ships on the shore of the sea. Let us now, 
however, yield to black night, and get our supper; and 
loose ye your beautiful horses from the cars, and throw 

505 their food beside them. Bring also, with speed, from the 
city, oxen and fat sheep, procure good wine, and bread 
from your houses, and collect plenty of wood 3 , that all 
night, until the dawn of morn 4 , we may burn many fires, 
and the blaze may reach to heaven ; lest the long-haired 

510 Achaeans, even in the night, endeavour to fly over the 
broad backs of the sea. Let them not, without trouble at 
least, go quietly on board their ships ; but let us take care 
that some of them may dress their wounds, even at home, 
struck with an arrow, or sharp spear, whilst springing into 

515 their ships — so that others may be afraid to wage tearful 
war with the Trojans, tamers of horses. And let heralds, 
beloved of Jove, announce through the city, that the boys 
at the age of puberty, and hoary-templed old men, keep 
guard 5 in the city upon the heaven-built towers ; and let 

520 the young 6 women also light a great fire, each in their 

9 i. e. from the ditch and rampart — which protected the ships. 

1 Cars. 2 i. e. too soon. 

3 Much wood. 4 Morn-born Aurora. 

5 Place themselves — i. e. for the purpose of keeping guard. 

6 StjXvTtpai. 



ILIAD VIII.— V. 521—552. 177 

own halls ; and Let there be a sure watch, lest troops enter 
the city whilst the army is absent 7 . Thus let it be, brave 
Trojans, as 1 advise. Let the orders, which are useful for 
the present, be thus given ; and other orders in the morn- 525 
ing I will give in the midst of the Trojan chiefs 8 . I hope 
— praying to Jove and the other gods — to drive hence the 
fate-led dogs, whom the destinies bring in their dark ships. 
Let us, however, take care of ourselves during the night ; 530 
and in the morning, with the dawn, girt in arms, we will 
rouse up fierce battle at the hollow ships. I will know 
whether Diomedes, the bold son of Tydeus, will drive 
back me from the ships to the wall ; or whether I, having 
subdued him with my spear, shall bear off his bloody 
spoils. To-morrow will make his valour quite manifest, if 535 
he await my spear coming upon him : and I think that by 
sunrise to-morrow 9 he will lie wounded among the first, 
and many comrades round him. Would that I were as 
surely immortal, and as exempt from old age all my days, 
and honoured as Minerva is honoured, and Apollo, as now 540 
the coming day brings evil upon the Argives." 

So Hector spake, and the Trojans shouted in appro- 
bation. And they loosed their sweating horses from the 
yoke, and fastened them by the reins, each beside his own 
car. And they brought in haste from the city oxen and 545 
fat sheep, and procured good wine and bread from their 
houses, and besides gathered much wood. And the winds 
bore the odour from the plain up to heaven. 

And they, greatly elated, sat all night on the field of 
battle ' ; and many fires burned by them. And as when in 550 
heaven the beauteous stars appear round the bright moon, 
when the air is breathless, and all the hills and lofty sum- 

7 The people being absent. 

8 Let the speech, which is now useful — be thus said — that (the speech) 
of the morning, I will speak, &c. i. e. This is enough for the present — in 
the morning I will speak further, when I hope, &c. 

9 The sun rising to-morrow. 

1 The bridge of war — the space strictly between two armies drawn up hi 
battle array. 

N 



178 



ILIAD VIII.— V. 553- 



iGO. 



mits and forests are visible ; and in the sky the boundless 
ether opens 2 , and all the stars are seen, and the shepherd 

555 is delighted in his soul ; so numerous, between the ships 
and the streams of Xanthus, appeared the fires of the Tro- 
jans, burning in front of Ilium. A thousand fires burned 
upon the plain, and beside each sat fifty in the light of 

560 the blazing fire. And the horses, eating white barley and 
oats, standing beside their cars, awaited the fair-throned 
Aurora 3 . 



2 Bursts or breaks. 



3 Morning. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER 



BOOK IX. 



ARGUMENT. 



By advice of Nestor, Agamemnon sends Ulysses, Phoenix, and Ajax, to the 
tent of Achilles with proposals of reconciliation. They execute their 
commission, hut without effect. Phoenix remains with Achilles ; Ulysses 
and Ajax return. 

Thus the Trojans kept their watches : but Flight 1 divine, 
the companion of chill Fear, possessed the Achaeans ; and 
all the chiefs were afflicted with intolerable grief. And as 
two winds, Boreas and Zephyrus, which 2 both blow from 5 
Thrace, rouse the fishy deep, coming suddenly upon it; 
and the black waves swell together, and dash much sea- 
weed out of the sea ; thus was the soul of the Achaeans 
distracted within their bosoms. 

Then Atrides, struck to the heart with much sorrow, 
went about giving orders to the loud-tongued 3 heralds, to 10 
invite each man i by name 5 to a council, but not to call 

1 $E(nr£<TiT]. The word is applied to any very high or extraordinary degree 
of the thing it qualifies — a strong or strange desire of flight seized the 
frightened Achseans. 

2 to) Ti. — precisely equivalent to w pa. 

3 A standing epithet for heralds — occurring very unluckily on the present 
occasion. 

* i. e. of the chiefs — for a council is to be held — not a general assembly of 
the army. 5 Or rather, by speaking to each of them individually. 

x 2 



180 ILIAD IX.— V. 12—40. 

aloud ; and he himself laboured among the nearest 6 . And 
they sat in council, grieved, and Agamemnon arose, 
shedding tears, like a black fountain 7 , which pours its dark 

15 water from a lofty rock. Thus he, sighing deeply, ad- 
dressed the Argives 8 : 

"My friends, leaders and counsellors of the Argives, 
Jupiter, the son of Saturn, has entangled me in a very 

20 grievous calamity — cruel, who once promised me, and con- 
firmed that promise with a nod 9 , that I, having destroyed 
the well-built Ilium, should return home. But now he has 
planned a sad deception, and orders me inglorious to repair 
to Argos, when I have lost many troops. Thus seems 
it to be agreeable to almighty Jove, who has already 

25 overthrown the heights of many cities, and will still over- 
throw more, for his power is greatest \ Come, then, let 
us all obey as I advise : let us fly with the ships to our 
dear native land; for we shall never take wide-streeted 
Troy." 

Thus he spake, and they were all silent; quiet in 
silence ; and long dumb were the saddened sons of the 

30 Achseans ; but at length the gallant Diomedes spake : 

ei Son of Atreus, first 2 I will defend myself against thy 
recent attack, as far, O king, as is proper, in the council ; 
and be not thou at all offended. In the presence of the 
Danaans didst thou first disparage my courage, by saying, 

35 that I was unwarlike, and feeble ; and all this, both the 
young and old of the Argives know. To thee, however, 
has the son of wily Saturn given diversely — in the sceptre 
he has given thee to be honoured above all ; but valour he 

40 has not given ; though bravery is greatest 3 . Sir, dost thou 



6 The first — i. e. the chiefs who were nearest. Agamemnon himself 
summoned them to council. 

7 Of black water — a frequent epithet for water, clear and deep. 

8 Addressed words to the Argives. ° And nodded. 

1 The same speech, up to this word, occurs B. Ill — 118. 

2 Literally — fight with you, unworthily addressing me. 

3 Best gift. 



ILIAD IX.— V. 41—70. 181 

then really believe that the sons of the Achaeans are 
unwariike and destitute of courage, as thou sayest? Then 
it" thy spirit impels thee to return, go — the way lies open 
to thee, and close to the sea stand thy ships, which fol- 
lowed thee from Mycene very many. But the other long- 45 
haired Achaeans will remain till we overthrow Troy ; and 
if they also choose, let them fly with the ships to their 
loved native land; and we two, I and Sthenelus, will 
right, until we find an end of Troy ; for with a god we 
came V 

Thus he spake ; and all the sons of the Achaeans shouted, 50 
admiring the speech of Diomedes, tamer of horses. And 
the chief, Nestor, rising, addressed them : 

" Son of Tydeus, above all others art thou brave in 
battle, and in council best, among all thine equals. No 55 
one of all the Achaeans 5 will blame thy speech, nor speak 
against it ; but thou hast not gone to the end of the mat- 
ter 6 . Thou art very young, and mightest be even my 
youngest son; but wisely thou addressest kings of the 
Argives, for thou hast spoken with propriety. Come, then, 60 
I, who can boast of being older than thou, will speak out, 
and go through the whole matter 7 ; nor will any one, not 
even the king Agamemnon, treat my speech with con- 
tempt. Tribeless, lawless, homeless 8 , is he, who delights 
in horrid, intestine war. Let us now then obey black 65 
night, and get our suppers; and let the guards be sta- 
tioned each along the dug ditch, outside the rampart 9 . 
These orders I give to the youths ; but next, Atrides, 
begin thou, for thou art supreme. Give a feast to the 70 



4 l. e. under the auspices of the 
3 As many Greeks as are. 

6 Thou hast not come to the end of words (or thoughts) — i. e. you have 
not said all that ought to be said — or, you have not come to the ultimate 
object of speech — something practical. Though you advise us to prosecute 
the war, you do not point out the means. 

7 Will do that which you have omitted. 

8 Fit for none of the relations of civilized life. 

. between the ditch and rampart. Compare line 87 below. 



182 ILIAD IX.— V. 71—98. 

elders ; it becomes thee, and is by no means improper. 
Thy tents are full of wine, which the ships of the Achgeans 
daily bring over the wide sea from Thrace. With thee is 
every accommodation \ and thou commandest many. Then, 
when many are assembled, thou wilt be advised by him who 
offers the best advice ; for there is need greatly to all the 

75 Achseans of good and prudent counsel, since the enemies 
are burning many fires near the ships : and who can 
rejoice at that? For this night will either destroy, or pre- 
serve the army V* 

Thus he spake ; and they heard him attentively, and 

80 were persuaded. And the guards rushed forth with their 
arms, namely, Thrasymedes 3 , son of Nestor, shepherd of 
people, and Ascalaphns and lalmenus 4 , sons of Mars, and 
Meriones, and Aphareus, and Deipyrus, and the son of 

85 Creion, the noble Lycomedes. Seven commanders were 
there of the guards, and an hundred youths marched along 
with each, having long spears in their hands. And pro- 
ceeding to the space between the ditch and the wall, they 
sat down, and there kindled a fire, and prepared each his 
supper. 

But Atrides conducted the assembled elders of the 

90 Achaeans to his tent, and placed before them a refreshing 
feast ; and they stretched forth their hands to the prepared 
victuals, which lay before them. And when they had re- 
moved the desire of eating and drinking, the aged Nestor, 
whose advice had before also appeared best, first of all,- 

95 began to unfold his plan 5 . He harangued them with pru- 
dence, and said : 

" Atrides, most glorious, king of men, Agamemnon, with 
thee shall I finish, and with thee shall I begin ; for thou 
art king of many nations, and in thy hands has Jove 



1 Or rather, perhaps, you have abundance of provision — and numerous 
attendants. 

2 L e. on the counsels of this night will depend the fate of the army. 

3 Those about Thrasymedes, &c. 4 B. 512. 
5 To weave a counsel. 



ILIAD IX.— V. 99—126. 183 

placed both the sceptre and the laws, that thou mightest 
consult for them. Therefore it behoves thee above all 100 
others both to deliver an opinion, and to hear one ; and also 
to carry into effect the advice of another, when his spirit 
prompts him to say what is useful 6 ; for it will depend 
upon thee 7 what shall finally rule 8 . And therefore I will 
speak, as appears to me to be best. For no other person 
will devise a better device than that which I devise, both 105 
before and even now again — from the time when thou, O 
nobly-born, didst go and take away the maiden Brisei's 
from the tent of the enraged Achilles — by no means 
according to my mind; for very much did I dissuade thee. HO 
But, yielding to thy haughty passions, the bravest hero, 
whom the immortals ever honoured, thou didst insult ; for 
thou hast taken away his prize, and holdest it. Let us, 
however, again consider how we may reconcile him — grati- 
fying him with soothing gifts and gentle words." 

And the king of men, Agamemnon, in reply, addressed 
him: "Thou hast uttered no falsehood, old man, with 115 
respect to my fault. I have erred, nor do I myself deny it. 
The man is indeed worth many troops, — he whom Jove 
loves in his heart, as he has honoured this, and subdued 
the people of Achaeans. But as I have erred, yielding to 120 
my destructive rage, I desire to appease him again, and to 
give him invaluable presents. And before you all I will 
enumerate the noble gifts : seven tripods, which have not 
touched the fire 9 , and ten talents of gold, and twenty 
bright kettles, and twelve strong steeds, victorious in the 
race, which have borne off prizes by their speed l . The 
man would not be poor, nor unpossessed of precious gold, 125 
with whom there were as many prizes as these solid-hoofed 

6 For good. 

7 L e. nothing can be clone without thy sanction. 

8 i. e. shall prevail, or be determined upon. 

9 Fireless — perhaps not destined for the fire — but for nobler, or ornamental 
purposes. 

1 With their feet. 



184 ILIAD IX.— V. 127—160. 

horses have brought in to me. I will likewise give seven 
women, skilful in superior works — Lesbians, whom, when 
he himself took the well-inhabited Lesbos, I selected, and 

130 who excel woman-kind 2 in beauty. These will I give him, 
and with them shall be the daughter of Briseus, whom I 
took from him ; and I will add a great oath, that I never 
ascended her bed, nor embraced her, as is the custom of 

135 mortals — of men and women. All these shall be his forth- 
with ; and if the gods hereafter grant us to sack the vast 
city of Priam, let him fill his ships with abundance of gold 
and brass, coming when we Achseans divide the spoil. 
And let himself choose twenty Trojan women, who, next 

140 to Argive Helen, may be the fairest. And if we shall 
reach Achaean Argos, the richest of lands 3 , he shall be my 
son-in-law ; and 1 will honour him equally with Orestes, 
who, my only son, is brought up in much luxury \ For I 

145 have three daughters in my well-built palace, Chrysothe- 
mis, and Laodice, and Iphianassa — of these the beloved 
one, which he pleases, let him take, unbought 5 , to the 
house of Peleus; and I will give very many nuptial gifts, 
so many as no man ever yet gave his daughter. I will 

150 besides give him seven well-inhabited cities, Cardamyle, 
and Enope, and grassy Hira, and the glorious Pherae, and 
Antheia with deep pastures, and the fair iEpeia, and the 
vine-bearing Pedasus — and all near the sea, situated close 
to sandy Pylus. And all in them dwell men abounding 

155 in flocks and rich in cattle, who will honour him, like a 
god, with gifts, and, subject to his rule 6 , pay him rich 
tributes. These things will I do for him, should he cease 
from his anger. Let him be prevailed upon. Pluto indeed 
is implacable and inexorable ; and on that account is he 

160 with men the most hateful of all the gods. Let him like- 



2 The races of women. 

3 The udder of arable land, or the fruitful source of arable produce. 

4 Or in the midst of abundance. 

5 In the heroic times, the suitor bought his bride — the tables are now 
turned, and the lady buys her husband. 6 Under his sceptre. 



ILIAD IX.— V. U51—190. 185 

» 

wise submit to me, because I am a greater king, and because 

I am 7 older than he." 

Him then the Gerenian chief, Nestor, answered; "Son 
of Atreus, most glorious, king of men, Agamemnon, thou 
dost offer gifts by no means despicable to king Achilles. 
Come then, let us urge chosen men, who may go with all 165 
speed to the tent of Achilles, son of Peleus. And come, 
if thou wilt, these I will select, and let them obey. First 
of all, let Phcenix, beloved of Jove, be the leader, and 
next the mighty Ajax and noble Ulysses; and of the 
heralds, let Hodius and Eurybates accompany them. 170 
Now bring water for our hands, and command silence 8 , 
that we may pray to Jove, the son of Saturn, that he may 
have pity on us 9 . 

Thus he spake and gave advice 1 agreeable to all. 
Forthwith heralds poured water upon their hands, and the 
attendants crowned the bowls with wine 2 ; and then 175 
handed the wine to all, from right to left, in cups. And 
when they had poured out libations and drunk as much as 
appetite required 3 , they departed from the tent of Aga- 
memnon, son of Atreus. And them (the deputation) the 
Gerenian chief, Nestor, enjoined much, turning his eyes 180 
upon each, but particularly on Ulysses, that they should 
strive to persuade the illustrious son of Peleus. 

And they went along the shore of the loud-sounding 
sea, offering very many petitions to the earth-shaker, to the 
compasser of earth, that they might persuade with ease the 185 
high spirit of iEacides. And they came to the tents and 
ships of the Myrmidons ; and found him delighting his 
soul with his sweet lyre, — beautiful, curiously wrought, 
and the neck 4 of it was silver. This he had taken among 
the spoils, when he destroyed Eetion's city ; with this he 
was amusing himself and singing the glories of heroes. 190 



Boast to be — but boast is almost always too strong a term for tvxofjiai. 
And order to keep a good voice. 

i. e. and bend the obstinacy of Achilles. * Spake a word. 

With drink. 3 The mind impelled. * Or handle. 



186 ILIAD IX.— V. 191—218. 

And Patroclus sat opposite to him in silence, alone, atten- 
tive to ./Eacides, till he should cease singing 5 . And they 
went onward, and the noble Ulysses led the way, and stood 
before him ; and Achilles, surprised, leaped up, with his 
lyre, quitting the seat where he had been sitting. And 

195 in like manner Patroclus, when he beheld the heroes, 
arose ; and the swift-footed Achilles receiving them, thus 
addressed them : 

"Welcome, whether ye come as friends, or whether 
there be some great necessity — ye are the dearest of the 
Achaeans to me, though much enraged/ 5 

Thus having spoken, the noble Achilles led them for- 

200 ward, and seated them upon couches and scarlet carpets ; 
and immediately said to Patroclus, who was near : " Set a 
larger bowl, son of Menoetius, and mix more generous 
wine, and make ready a cup for each, for men most dear 
to me are now beneath my roof/ 5 

205 Thus he spake ; and Patroclus obeyed his loved com- 
rade. And he (Achilles) placed within the radiance of the 
fire 6 a large block 7 , and laid upon it the fore-quarters of a 
sheep and a fat goat, and the hind-quarters of a fed-hog, 
very fat. And Automedon held them for him ; and the 
noble Achilles cut them up ; and divided them well into 
small pieces, and transfixed them with spits ; and Menoe- 

210 tiades, a hero resembling a god, lighted up the large fire. 
And when the fire had burned down, and the flame grown 
languid, strewing the embers, he stretched the spits over 
them, and sprinkled the joints with sacred salt, lifting 
them upon the racks. And when he had roasted them, 

215 and put 8 them upon dishes, Patroclus taking bread, placed 
it upon the table in handsome trenchers ; but Achilles 
distributed the meat. And he himself sat opposite to the 
noble Ulysses, against the other wall, and charged Patro- 



5 i. e. whilst, or as loug as he sang. 

e i. e. near the blaze of the fire— for the sake of the light probably. 

7 Or a table of some kind for the purpose. 

8 Poured — i. e. took them from the spits and laid them on a tabic. 

12 



ILIAD IX.— V. 219—241). 187 

clus, his comrade, to sacrifice to the gods ; and he cast 
morsels into the fire 9 . And they stretched forth their 220 
hands to the prepared food, which lay before them. And 
When they had taken away the desire of eating and drink- 
ing, Ajax nodded to Phoenix ; and noble Ulysses observed, 
and having filled his goblet with w r ine, pledged Achilles : 

u Your health, Achilles. Not in want of a full feast are 225 
we, either in the tent of Agamemnon, the son of Atreus, 
or here also now ; for we have abundance of dainties 1 to 
eat ; but the works of the pleasant feast are not our pre- 
sent care. For, noble Achilles, seeing a great disaster, we 
greatly dread it ; for it is doubtful 2 , whether we shall save 230 
or lose our well-benched ships, unless thou shalt put on 
thy might. For near the ships and rampart their posts 
have the bold Trojans fixed, and allies, summoned from 
afar, kindling numerous fires in their army; and they 
affirm, they shall no longer be prevented from attacking 
the black ships 3 . And for them Jove, the son of Saturn, 235 
exhibiting propitious signs, darts his lightning ; and 
Hector, exulting in his valour, rages terribly, trusting in 
Jove, nor reverences at all either men or gods, for great 
fury has entered into him. He prays that the divine 240 
morn would speedily come. For he threatens to cut off 
the prows of the ships, and burn the ships themselves 
with destructive fire, and slaughter the Achaeans beside 
them, smothered in the smoke. These things do I greatly 
fear in my mind, lest the gods fulfil his threats, and it be 245 
destined for us to perish in Troy, far from fertile i Argos. 
Rise 5 then, if thou ever intendest, although late, to rescue 
the sons of the Achaeans harassed by the conflict of the 
Trojans. To thyself it will hereafter be cause of sorrow, 



9 As an offering to the gods. 

1 There are with us many refreshing things — invigorating — wholesome. 

2 In doubt. 

3 And say that they cannot be resisted, but will charge upon the black 
ships. 

* Horse-feeding. 5 But up. 



188 ILIAD IX.—V. 250—282. 

250 nor is it possible to find a remedy for an evil done 6 ; there- 
fore reflect well before hand, how thou mayst repel the 
evil day from the Danaans. O my friend, thy father 
Peleus charged thee, on that day when he sent thee from 
Phthia to Agamemnon, ' My son, Minerva and Juno will 
bestow victory, if they choose; but restrain thou the 

255 haughty spirit within thy breast, for gentleness is prefer- 
able ; and abstain from contention, the origin of ills, that 
both young and old of the Argives may honour thee the 
more/ 

"Thus did the old man enjoin thee ; but thou art forget- 

260 ful. Yet even now desist, and lay aside thy bitter resent- 
ment. And Agamemnon will give gifts worthy of thee 7 , 
shouldst thou cease from thine indignation. If then thou 
wilt, listen to me, and I will repeat to thee how many pre- 
sents in his tents Agamemnon hath promised thee : seven 
tripods, which have not touched the fire, and ten talents 

265 of gold, and twenty bright kettles, and twelve strong 
steeds, victorious in the race, which have borne off prizes 
by their speed. The man would not be poor, nor unpos- 
sessed of precious gold, who should have as many prizes, 
as the horses of Agamemnon have borne off by their speed. 

270 And he will give seven women, skilful in superior works — 
Lesbians, whom, when thou didst thyself take the well- 
inhabited Lesbos, he selected, and who then excelled all 
woman-kind in beauty. These will he give thee, and with 
them will be the daughter of Briseus, whom he then took 
away; and he will swear a mighty oath, that he never 

275 ascended her bed, nor embraced her, as is the custom, O 
king, both of men and women. All these shall be thine 
forthwith ; and if the gods hereafter grant us to sack the vast 
city of Priam, he says, that thou mayst fill thy ships with 

280 abundance of gold and brass, coming, when we Achaeans 
divide the spoil ; and that thou mayst also choose twenty 
Trojan women, who next to Argive Helen, are the fairest. 



6 L e. there is undoing it. 

7 Gives to thee, ceasing from anger, worthy gifts. 



ILIAD IX.— V. 283—316. 189 

Ami if ever we roach Achaean Argos, the richest of lands, 
thou shalt become his son-in-law, and he will honour thee 
equally with Orestes, his only son, who is brought up in 285 
much splendour. For he has three daughters in his well- 
constructed palace, Chrysothemis, Laodice, and Iphianassa 
— of these, he says, thou shalt conduct the beloved one, 
whichever thou wilt choose, unbought, to the house of 
Peleus ; and he will give very many nuptial presents, so 290 
many as no man ever yet gave his daughter. He will be- 
sides give thee seven well-inhabited cities, Cardamyle, and 
Enope, and grassy Hira, and the glorious Pherae, and 
Antheia with deep pastures, and the fair iEpeia, and the 
viny Pedasus ; and all near the sea, situated close to the 295 
sand} r Pylus. And in them dwell men abounding in flocks 
and rich in cattle, who will honour thee, like a god, with 
gifts, and, subject to thy rule, pay thee rich tributes. 
These things will he do for thee, shouldst thou cease 
from thine anger. But if the son of Atreus himself 300 
and his gifts be more hateful to thee in thine heart ; still 
have pity upon all the other Achaeans, harassed through- 
out the army, who will honour thee as a god ; for surely 
thou wilt obtain very great glory among them. And now 
mightest thou slay Hector, — since he has come very near 
thee, with a destructive fury, — for he declares that no one 305 
is equal to him of the Danaans, whom the ships have con- 
veyed hither 8 . 

And him, answering, the swift-footed Achilles addressed : 
" Most noble son of Laertes, Ulysses ever ready, it behoves 
me to speak my sentiments frankly — as I think, and as it 310 
shall be done — that ye may not,, sitting beside me, trouble 
me one after another. For hateful to me as the gates of 
Hades is he, who conceals one thing in his mind, and 
utters another. And I will speak as it shall also be done 
— me then neither Agamemnon, son of Atreus, I think, 315 
nor the rest of the Danaans, will persuade °, since there are 

R i. e. a* Achilles no longer mingled in the battle. 
>. e. to fight again. 



190 ILIAD IX.— V. 317—347. 

no thanks here for fighting eternally with hostile men. 
Equal is the share of him who abides in his tent, and of 
him who fights much ; and in equal honour is the coward 

320 and the brave. The man who does nothing, and he who 
does much, dies alike ; nor have I more than others, be- 
cause I suffer sorrows in my soul, in ever exposing my life 
in combating 1 . And as a bird brings food to her unfledged 
young when she finds it, although it fares ill with herself; 

325 so also have I spent many sleepless nights, and gone 
through bloody days in combat, fighting with heroes for 
the sake of their wives 2 . Twelve cities have I stript of 
their men with my ships, and on foot, I say, eleven in fer- 
tile Troy 3 . From all these have I carried off many and 

330 precious treasures, and bringing them, have given all to 
Agamemnon, the son of Atreus ; and he remaining behind 
at the swift ships, receiving them, distributed a few, and 
retained many, and gave other prizes to the chiefs and 
kings. To them they remain undisturbed ; and from me 

335 alone of the Achseans has he taken mine away, and keeps 
my sweet mistress — let him, with her indulging, enjoy 
himself 4 . But why need the Argives wage war with the 
Trojans ? Or for what did Atrides, assembling an army, 
lead it hither ? Was it not on account of the fair -haired 

340 Helen ? What, do the sons of Atreus alone of men 5 love 
their wives ? No ; for every good and rational man loves, 
and takes care of his own spouse ; so I also loved her from 
my soul, though a captive in war 6 . And now since he 
hath snatched my prize from my hands, and cheated me, 

345 let him not tempt me, who know him so well 7 , for he will 
not persuade me. But, Ulysses, let him contrive with 
thee, and the other kings, how to repel hostile fire from 



1 i. e. on account of my greater toils and clangers. 

2 <?(pET6pcuov — for their wives — meaning specifically, the wife of Menelaus. 

3 In different parts of the country, of which Troy was the capital. 

4 Threateningly — as if he added — but it shall be his destruction. 

5 fjiEpoTrujv. A. 250. c Though acquired by the spear. 
7 Well knowing. 



ILIAD IX.— V. 348—378. 191 

the ships. Truly he has accomplished many labours with- 
out me. He has even built a rampart, and dug a ditch 
broad and large beside it ; and fixed in it palisades : but 
not even thus can he control the might of Hector the 350 
slayer of men. For whilst I fought amongst the Achaeans, 
Hector chose not to rouse the battle at a distance from 
the town, but came as far only as the Scaean gates and 
the beech tree. There once he awaited me alone, and with 355 
difficulty escaped my onset. And now since I choose not 
to combat with the noble Hector — to-morrow, when I have 
sacrificed to Jove and all the gods, and, well lading my 
vessels, I have dragged them down to the sea — thou shalt 
behold, if thou wilt, and if such things be a care to thee, 
very early in the morn, sailing upon the fishy Hellespont, 360 
my ships, and in them men eager for rowing. And if glo- 
rious Neptune grant but a prosperous voyage, on the third 
day I shall reach fertile Phthia. And I have there very 
many possessions, which I left, coming unauspiciously 
hither. And the rest of the gold and ruddy brass, and 365 
charming 8 women, and bright iron, which have fallen to 
my lot, I shall carry hence; but the reward which he g ave, "-*- t ^&o?t 
king Agamemnon, son of Atreus, has himself taken insult- 
ingly ° back from me. To him report all, as I charge you, 
publicly, that other Achaeans also may be indignant, if he, 370 
ever clothed in impudence, still hopes to cheat any of the 
Danaans; nor he dare, audacious though he be, to look 
in my face \ I will neither join counsel nor deed with 
him ; for he has already cheated and wronged me, nor shall 375 
he again delude me with words. For once is enough for 
him 2 , and let him go quietly 3 to Hades, for provident Jove 
has well deprived him of his senses. Detestable are his 
gifts to me, and himself I honour not the value of a hair. 



8 Well as to zones — apparently, used, delicately, for beautiful or swelling 
bosoms. 9 Being insolent. 

1 Nor let him dare, though dog-like, to look upon the countenance to me. 

2 i. e. to ill-treat me, and escape with impunity. 

3 i. e. for me — I have nothing more to do with him. 



192 ILIAD IX.— V. 379—412. 

380 Not if he gave me ten and twenty times as much as now 
is his, or ever hereafter may be 4 ; nor as many treasures as 
go to Orchomenos, or to Egyptian Thebes, where the most 
numerous are laid up in mansions, and whose gates are a 
hundred, and from each go out two hundred men with 

385 horses and cars. Nor if he were to give me as many as 
are the sand and the dust, — not even thus shall Agamem- 
non again bend my spirit, until he indemnify me for all 
his bitter insults. Nor will I wed the daughter of Aga- 
memnon, son of Atreus, not if she rival in beauty the 

390 golden Venus, or be equal in accomplishments to the blue- 
eyed Minerva, not even thus will I wed her. But let him 
select another of the Achaeans, who may suit him, and who 
is a greater king ; for if the gods preserve me, and I reach 
home, then will Peleus himself doubtless bestow upon me 

395 a lady in marriage. Many are the Achaean women in 
Hellas and Phthia, daughters of the chiefs, who defend 
their cities. Of these, whichever I choose, I will make my 
beloved wife ; and there my noble spirit very much urges 
me to wed a wife 5 , a fit partner of my bed, to enjoy the 

400 possessions which aged Peleus has acquired. For not 
worth my life are all the treasures, which, they say the 
populous city Ilium possessed, whilst formerly at peace, 
before the sons of the Achaeans arrived ; nor all which the 

405 stony threshold of the archer Phoebus Apollo contains 
within it, in rocky Pytho. Besides oxen and fat sheep 
may be procured by plunder ; and tripods be acquired, and 
the yellow heads 6 of horses ; but the breath of man, to 
return again, is not to be obtained by plunder nor by pur- 
chase, when once it has past the barrier of his teeth. For 

410 the goddess, my mother, the silver-footed Thetis, declares, 
that double destinies lead me to the end of death. If, on 
the one hand, remaining here, I wage war around the city 



4 Both them and others, from whatever quarter they come. 

5 \\vr\GTv\v ctkoyov — i. c. a wife — aXoxog is a bed-fellow — a mistress. 

6 L e. horses with yellow manes — bright bays, or chesnuts. 



ILIAD IX.— V. 413—444. 193 

of the Trojans, my return is cut off 7 , but my glory shall 
be immortal ; and if, on the other, I return home to my 
loved native land, the prize of glory is lost to me, but my 415 
lite will be long, nor will the end of death speedily over- 
take me. And the rest of you also would I advise to sail 
home, for no longer will ye find the destruction of lofty 
Ilium ; for the far-sounding Jove has stretched over it his 
hand, and the people have taken courage. Do ye then, 420 
departing, bear back this message to the chiefs of the 
Achaeans — for such is the office of ambassadors — that they 
may devise within their minds some other better plan, 
which may preserve for them their ships, and the army of 
the Achaeans in the hollow barks ; since this, which they 425 
have now planned, is not practicable 8 , while my anger 
continues. But let Phoenix sleep here, remaining with us, 
that to-morrow he may accompany me in the ships to my 
dear native land, if he will ; though I will by no means 
take him away by force." 

Thus he spake ; and they were all mute with silence, 430 
wondering at his speech, for he spake with much vehe- 
mence. At length, however, the aged chief, Phoenix, ad- 
dressed him, shedding tears profusely, for he feared much 
for the ships of the Achaeans : 

u If indeed, illustrious Achilles, thou resolvest 9 on re- 
turn, and will not repel the consuming fire from the swift 435 
ships, because indignation hath fallen upon thy soul ; how 
can I, dear child, then be left alone here apart from thee ? 
For the aged chief, Peleus, sent me forth with thee, on 
that day, when he dispatched thee from Phthia to Aga- 
memnon, still a boy, and skilled neither in war, equally 440 
destructive to all, nor in councils, where men become 
illustrious. On that account he sent me forth, to teach 
thee all these things, to become a speaker of words, and a 
doer of deeds. So then, my beloved child, I would not be 



Perishes. s Ready. 

Cast into the mind — i. c as a fixed resolve. 



194 ILIAD IX.— V. 445—476. 

445 left behind by thee — not if a god would himself promise, 
stripping off my old age, to render me a blooming youth 
again, such as when first I quitted Hellas, famed for beau- 
tiful women, flying the reproaches of my father Amyntor, 
son of Ormenus ; who was enraged with me on account 

450 of a fair-haired girl, whom he himself loved, and thus dis- 
honoured his wife, my mother. For my mother was 
always supplicating me by the knees *, that I should first 
have connection with the girl, that she (the girl) might hate 
the old man. Her I obeyed, and did so ; and my father 
immediately discovering it, uttered many execrations, and 

455 invoked the horrible furies that no beloved son, sprung 
from me, should ever be placed upon his knees : and the 
gods fulfilled his execrations, the Infernal Jove {Pluto) and 
relentless Proserpine. Then my soul within my breast no 
longer at all endured to abide in the house with a father 

460 thus enraged. My friends, indeed, and relatives, on all sides, 
detained me there within the halls by their entreaties. 
And many fat sheep and slow-footed crumple-horned oxen 
they slaughtered, and many fat swine were extended for 

465 roasting over the fire 2 , and much of the old man's wine 
was drunk contained in earthen jars. Nine nights did they 
continue with me 3 ; and in turns kept guard ; nor were 
the fires ever extinguished, one in the portico of the well- 
walled court, and another in the vestibule, in front of the 

470 chamber doors. But when the tenth shady night had 
come upon me, then at last I rushed forth, having burst 
the strong 4 doors of the apartment, and easily over-leaped 
the wall of the court, unobserved 5 by the men on guard, 
and female slaves. Then I fled far away through spacious 

475 Hellas, and came to fertile Phthia, mother of sheep, to 
king Peleus ; and he kindly received me, and loved me, 

1 Expressive of the act of supplication. 

2 Over the flame of Vulcan. 

3 Nine nights they spent the night round me myself. 

4 Skilfully fitted, or fastened. 

5 Eluding the view of the men guards. 



ILIAD IX.— V. 477— 307. 195 

even as a father with ample possessions loves his clear and 
only ton. And he made me rich, and bestowed upon me 
much people 6 , and I dwelt on the frontiers of Phthia, 480 
ruling the Dolopians. Thee also, O Achilles, equal to the 
gods, have I rendered what thou art 7 , loving thee from my 
soul ; for thou wouldst not go with another to thy meals, 
nor take thy food in the mansion, until seating thee upon 
my knees I satisfied thee with food, previously cutting it 
up for thee, and supplying thee w r ith wine. Often hast 485 
thou wetted the tunic upon my breast, spitting out the 
wine in froward infancy. Thus very many things did I 
bear for thee, and much did I labour, regarding this, that 
the gods had not produced offspring from myself. And I 
made thee -my son, Achilles, equal to the gods, that thou 490 
mightest ever repel from me foul wrongs. But, O 
Achilles, subdue thy proud spirit ; it becomes thee not to 
have a pitiless heart. For even the gods themselves are 
flexible, whose virtue, and honour, and might are greater 495 
than thine. Even them, by sacrifices, and appeasing vows, 
and incense, and odours do men turn from their anger, 
when one transgresses or errs. For even Prayers are 
mighty Jove^s daughters — lame, and wrinkled 8 , and with 500 
eyes glancing sideways 9 ; which, following after Violence, 
are full of anxiety. But Violence is swong and firm of 
foot ; and thereforefhe far outstrips them all, and arrives 
first at every land, doing injuries to men ; and they after- 
wards cure them *. Whosoever respects the daughters of 
Jove, approaching near him, him they greatly benefit, and 505 
listen to him who prays for their aid. But whoever denies 
and obstinately rejects them, then indeed, drawing near 



6 k e. appointed me governor. 

7 Such — i. e. as thou now art — till you grow up. 

8 Or thin, as worn with anxiety. 

i. e. not looking straight -forward — from want of confidence. 

1 Art) is a personification of Violence, or whatever prompts to wrong ; 
and Aircu of the motives which are calculated to prevent the overt acts of 
Violence ; or failing to prevent, to remedy the ill effects. 

o 2 



196 ILIAD IX.— V. 508-535. 

to Jove, son of Saturn, they intreat that Violence may 
overtake him, that he, by suffering, may pay the penalty 
of wrong. Now, Achilles, do thou also yield to the daugh- 

510 ters of Jove that respect, which bends the minds of other 
good people 2 . For if Atrides brought not gifts, and did 
not name others to be given hereafter, but was still always 
obstinately unjust, I would not advise thee to throw asjde 
thine anger, and defend the Argives, although greatly in 

515 need. But now he at once gives much on the spot, and 
promises more hereafter ; and he has despatched the chief 
men to supplicate thee, having selected them, throughout 
the Achaean army, who are dearest to thyself of the Ar- 
gives. Do not thou despise their sentiments nor their 
embassy 3 ; although before fault was not to be found with 

520 thee, because thou wert enraged. Thus also have we 
heard the tales of heroes of former days, when violent 
anger came upon any, they were accessible to gifts, and 
reconcileable by words. I remember this ancient, and by 
no means modern, deed, how it was ; and I will repeat it 

525 to you, who are all dear to me. The Curetes and iEtolians, 
obstinate in battle, fought round the city of Calydon, and 
slaughtered each other ; the ^tolians in defence 4 of lefty <^^ 
Calydon, and the Curetes eager to lay it waste by war. 
For among them too had Diana, of the golden throne, 

530 excited evil, indignant because CEneus had not offered the 
first fruits in sacrifice at the vintage 5 ; for the other gods 
feasted on hecatombs, and to the daughter of the mighty 
Jove alone he sacrificed not. Either he forgot, or did not 
think of it — but he committed a great offence 6 . For she, 

535 the daughter of Jove, delighting in arrows, enraged, sent 
against him a fierce wild boar, with white teeth, which did 

2 i. e. who when wronged suffer themselves to be appeased. 

3 Their word and feet. 

4 Defending. 

5 Because CEneus had not done the primary sacrifices with the produce 
of the vineyard -or, perhaps, at the vintage. 

6 i. e. whatever it was, it was an act of great imprudence, and he suffered 
for it. 



ILIAD IX. — V. 53G — f>()8. 197 

much mischief, frequenting the lands of GEneus. For 
many tall trees, from the soil, did he cast upon the 
ground, with their very roots and the blossoms of their 
fruits. And Meleager, the son of CEneus, slew him, 
assembling huntsmen and dogs from many cities ; for he 
would not have been subdued with a few men — so mighty 510 
was he, and he caused many to ascend the sad funeral pile. 
And she stirred up about him (the boar) a great tumult 
and war, for the head and bristly skin of the boar, between 
the Curetes and brave ^Etolians. And as long as war- 545 
like Meleager fought, was it ill with 7 the Curetes ; nor 
were they able, although numerous, to remain without 
their walls 8 . But when at length anger came upon Me- 
leager, — which swells the soul of even others, the wisest, 
within their breasts — then, indeed, enraged in his heart 550 
with his own mother Althaea, he remained 9 at home with 
his wedded wife, the fair Cleopatra, daughter of Marpessa, 
the handsome-ankled child of Evenus, and Idas, who was 
the bravest in his time of earthly men, and even drew a 555 
bow against king Phoebus Apollo, for the sake of his 
handsome-ankled spouse. And her (Cleopatra) at that 
time her father and venerable mother used to call, in the 
palace, by the surname of Alcyone, because her mother, 
having the destiny of the sorrowful Alcyon, wept when the 560 
far-darting Phoebus Apollo stole her away. Beside her he 
(Meleager) remained at home, nursing his bitter rage, in- 
dignant because of the curses of his mother, she, w r ho, 
much grieving, had prayed to the gods for vengeance on 
account of the murder of her brother \ And often did she 
strike with her hands the productive earth, calling upon 565 
Pluto and the dreaded Proserpine, bending upon her knees, 
whilst her bosom was wet with tears, to give death to her 
son ; and Erinnys, who dwells in darkness, with an impla- 



7 So long it was badly with. 

6 i. c the iEtolians drove the Curetes within the walls of their town 
(Pleuron). «• He lay. 

1 Whom her son had slain. 



198 ILIAD IX.— V. 569—595. 

cable hearty heard her out of Erebus. — Soon the noise and 

570 tumult rose round their gates 2 , the towers being battered. 
And the elders of the iEtolians intreated him ; and they 
sent the chief priests of the gods, that he would come 
forth and defend them, promising a mighty gift — where 
the plain 3 of fertile Calydon was richest, there they bade 

575 him choose for himself a beautiful farm of fifty acres ', 
one half of vine-land % and the other half of it clear 6 
arable ; and cut it from the plain 7 . And much did the 
aged chief, GEneus, beseech him, having ascended to the 
threshold of his lofty-roofed chamber, shaking the closed 8 

580 doors, and imploring his son. And much also did his 
sisters and venerable mother intreat him, but he the more 
refused ; and much the friends who were worthiest and 
dearest of all ; but not even thus did they persuade the 
soul within his breast, until at last his chamber was 

585 frequently struck, and the Curetes were mounting the 
towers and setting fire to the great city. For then, at 
length, his beautiful spouse, lamenting, supplicated Me- 
leager, and recounted all the disasters which befal men 9 
whose city is captured — some slay the men, and fire 

590 reduces the city to ashes ; and others carry off the chil- 
dren and deep-zoned women. And his soul was stirred 
when he heard 10 these evil deeds, and he hasted and girt 
his body in glittering armour. So he repelled the evil day 
from the iEtolians, yielding to the impulse of his own feel- 
ings X1 . And him they did not make many and pleasing 

595 gift s :> but he repelled the evil even thus 12 . Do not thou 



2 i. e. of the vEtolians. 

3 As if it were a common — unappropriated soil. 

4 Of course the dimensions of the yvov are not known with any precision. 

5 i. e. with trees upon it, for the vines to hang on. 

6 i. e. clear of trees. 7 i. e. detach or enclose it. 

8 Fastened. 

9 Which are to men. 10 The soul of him hearing. 

11 i. e. not yielding to intreaties, or to offers of gifts, but prompted by his 
own conviction of the necessity. 

12 i. c. without the gifts. 



ILIAD IX.— V. 59(3—022. 199 

then meditate the same things within thy mind, my friend; 
nor let the deity thus turn thee ; for it would be worse ' to 
protect the ships, when actually burning. But on these 
offers — come 2 ; for the Achaeans will honour thee equally 
with a god. For if thou enterest the battle, destructive 600 
of men, without these gifts, thou wilt not be in equal 
honour, although thou shouldst ward off the war V 

Him, answering, the swift-footed Achilles addressed : 
" Phoenix, my father, old man, beloved of Jove, I have 
no need of this honour, for I think I have been honoured 
by the will of Jove, which will keep me at my curved 605 
ships, as long as breath remains in my bosom, and my 
knees bear me up. And I tell thee something else, and 
do thou cast it in thy mind. Disturb not my soul with 
thy weeping and lamenting, to gratify 4 the hero Atrides ; 
nor ought thou to love him, that thou mayst not be 610 
hated by me, who love thee. It is right for thee along 
with me to annoy him who annoys me. Reign on equal 
terms with me 5 , and share half of my authority. These 
will bear back my message ; but do thou, remaining here, 
recline upon a soft bed, and, with the appearing morn, we 
will consult whether we shall return to our homes or 615 
remain. " 

He said, and in silence motioned 6 to Patroclus, to 
strew a thick bed for Phoenix, that they (Ajax and 
Ulysses) might think forthwith of returning from the tent. 
And the godlike Telamonian Ajax addressed to them a 
speech : 

" Most noble son of Laertes, wise Ulysses, let us be 620 
going, for the end of our address appears not to me to be 
in this way, at least, attainable 7 ; and we must 8 with all 



1 ?. e. more discreditable — or less profitable. 

2 *. e. concede on these terms. 3 Although repelling the war. 
4 Bringing pleasure. 

s Rule equally with me, and obtain by lot half my honour. 

6 With his brows — i. e. with his head — nodded. 

7 To be accomplished. 8 It is necessary to. 



200 ILIAD IX.— -V. 623—655. 

haste report the message, unpleasant though it be 9 , to the 
Danaans, who are now sitting in expectation. For Achilles 

625 lays up within his breast a fierce and haughty spirit, 
unyielding, nor regards the friendship of his comrades 
— that with which we have honoured him at the ships 
beyond others. He has no pity — yet some have accepted 
compensation even for a brother's death, or their own 

630 slaughtered son ; whilst the murderer remains at home l 
among his people, having paid large fines, and the heart, 
and noble soul of the other is appeased, receiving compen- 
sation. But in thy breast the gods have put an implaca- 
ble and evil mind, for the sake of a single girl ; though we 
now offer thee seven of the very best, and many other 

635 gifts besides them. Take then gentler feelings, and respect 
thy house, for we are guests beneath thy roof from the 
army 2 of the Danaans, and desire to be most regardful and 
friendly to thee beyond all the Achaeans 3 ." 

And to him the swift-footed Achilles, answering, said : 

640 " Noble Ajax, son of Telamon, commander of men, thou 
appearest to me to say all this from thy soul ; but my heart 
swells with indignation when I recollect those things, how 
contemptuously Atrides treated me in the presence of the 
Argives — as if I were some miserable exile. Go ye then, 

645 and carry back my message, for I will not think of bloody 
war, before the son of warlike Priam, noble Hector, 
slaughtering the Argives, reach the tents and ships of the 
Myrmidons, and set the ships on fire. Around my tent 

650 and black ship, however, I think that Hector, however 
furious, will refrain from battle." 

Thus he spake ; and they, each having taken up a 
double goblet, and made libations, went back along the 
ships, and Ulysses led the way. And Patroclus gave 
orders to his comrades and female slaves, to make, with 

655 all haste, a thick couch for Phoenix ; and they, obedient, 



9 Although being not good. l There in his house. 

2 Multitude. 3 Beyond the rest, as many Achaeans as are. 

12 



ILIAD IX.— V. 656— 6S7. 201 

Bpread a bed, as he commanded, sheep skins, and a 
blanket, and the finest flax 4 ; where the old man reposed, 
and awaited the heavenly morning. And Achilles slept in 
a recess of his well-made 5 tent ; and beside him slept a 
dame, whom he brought from Lesbos, the beautiful-cheeked 660 
Diomeda, daughter of Phorbas. And Patroclus on the 
other side of the tent reclined ; and beside him also slept 
the beauteous Iphis, w r hom the noble Achilles gave him, 
when he took 6 rocky Scyros, the town of Enyeus 7 . 

And when they (Ulysses and AjaxJ at length were within 665 
the tents of Atrides, the sons of the Achaeans, one after 
another received them with golden cups, rising, and made 
inquiries. And first the king of men, Agamemnon, inter- 
rogated them : 

a Cpme, tell me, excellent Ulysses, great glory of the 
Achaeans, will he repel hostile fire from the ships, or 670 
does he refuse, and rage still possesses his haughty soul ?" 

And to him in reply, the much-toiling noble Ulysses 
said : u Son of Atreus, most glorious, Agamemnon, king 
of men, he will not extinguish his resentment, but is still 
more filled with rage, and spurns thee and thy gifts. He 675 
bids thee thyself consult among the Argives, how thou 
canst preserve both the ships and people of the Achaeans ; 
and he threatens that, with the appearing morn, himself 
will launch into the main his well-benched vessels, impelled 
on both sides with oars ; and says that he advises the rest ggo 
of you also to sail away homeward, since ye will no longer 
effect the destruction of lofty Ilium 8 ; for far-sounding 
Jove much protects it, and the people are full of confi- 
dence. Thus he spake ; and here are these, who accom- 685 
panied me, Ajax, and the tw r o heralds, both discreet men, 
to confirm these words 9 . But the aged Phoenix sleeps 



4 i. e. the softest — well-heckled— not linen sheets. 

5 Well-built — convenient. They were encamped in huts, not tents. 

fi Taking. \***'S *~k<^ 7 . g< of which Enyeus wag chk , f> 

8 I. e. ye have no longer a chance of doing so, as he entirely withdraws. 

9 To say these things. 



202 ILIAD IX.— V. 686—708. 

there ; for thus Achilles commanded, in order that in the 
morning, he might accompany him in the ships to his dear 
native land, if he washes, for he will not take him by 
force/ 5 

Thus he spake, and they were all in silence, wonder- 

690 ing at his speech, for he had harangued with great vehe- 
mence \ And long were the sorrowing sons of the 
Achaeans mute, till at length the gallant Diomedes ad- 
dressed them : 

"Son of Atreus, most glorious, Agamemnon, king of 
men, would that thou hadst not supplicated the noble son 

695 of Peleus, offering numerous gifts, for he is haughty enough 
otherwise; and now again thou hast excited him much 
more to insolence. But, however, let us leave him to him- 
self, whether he go or stay; for he will then fight again 
when his spirit within his breast prompts, and a god 

700 impels him. Come, then, let us all be advised to do 
as I say. Now take your rest, after cheering your 
hearts with food and wine, for that is force and vigour. 
And when the fair rosy-fingered morn appears, forthwith 
draw up the men and horses 2 before the ships, inciting 3 

705 them ; and fight thyself likewise among the foremost. 55 

Thus he spake, and all the kings assented, admiring the 
speech of Diomedes, tamer of horses. Then, after offering 
libations, they departed each to his tent ; where they lay 
down, and took the gift of sleep. 

1 i. e. Achilles had done so. 

2 i. e. the cars — in which the chiefs, of different ranks, alone fought. 

3 i. e. rousing them to battle. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER 



BOOK X. 



ARGUMENT. 

Diomedes and Ulysses enter the Trojan host by night, and slay Rhesus. 

All the other chiefs of the Achaeans slept all night at the 
ships, overpowered by gentle slumber; but sweet sleep 
held not Agamemnon, the son of Atreus, shepherd of the 
people, revolving many things in his mind. And as when 
the spouse of the fair-haired Juno darts his lightning, 5 
preparing either much heavy rain, or hail, or snow-showers 
— whenever snow covers the fields x , or somewhere the 
vast mouth of bitter war 2 is open — so frequently s groaned 
Agamemnon in his breast from the bottom of his heart, 10 
and his bosom trembled within him. For truly when 
he looked towards the Trojan plain, he was amazed at 
the numerous fires which were burning before Ilium, at 
the clangor of pipes and horns, and the tumult of men. 
And when he beheld 4 the ships and army of the Achaeans, 15 
he plucked many hairs from his head by the roots, accusing 

1 i. e. in winter. 

- i. c. at the time of some impending battle, when Jove gives signs of his 
anger, or his will. 

3 i. c. Agamemnon sighs as often, as it sometimes lightens, before the 
tempest breaks. 

4 i. e. thought of — for he was in his tent. 



204 ILIAD X.— V. 17—47. 

Jove who dwells on high, and in his generous heart he 
groaned aloud. This counsel then appeared best to his 
judgment — to repair to Neleian Nestor, the chief among 

20 heroes, and see if with him he could contrive some good 
plan, which might be a means of protection 5 to all the 
Danaans. Rising, therefore, he girded his tunic on his 
breast, and under his smooth feet he bound the handsome 
sandals ; and then he around threw him the tawny skin 
of a lion, fierce and large, stretching to his feet, and seized 

25 his spear. And in like manner a tremor seized Menelaus, 
for neither did sleep rest upon his eyelids, through fear, 
lest the Argives should suffer any thing, who on his account 
had come over the wide sea to Troy, waging daring war. 
First he covered his broad shoulders with a spotted pan- 

30 ther's skin ; and next, lifting up his brazen helmet, he 
placed it upon his head, and took a spear in his powerful 
hand. And he set out to rouse 6 his brother, who had the 
chief command of all the Argives, and was honoured by 
the people like a god. And him he found about his 

35 shoulders putting his bright armour at the prow of his 
ship ; and to him was his arrival welcome 7 . 

To him first brave Menelaus said : " Why thus in arms, 
my brother ? Art thou despatching one of thy friends to 
be a spy among the Trojans ? But I very much fear lest 

40 no one will undertake this work, to reconnoitre the enemy, 
going alone, in ambrosial night. He will be a bold man 
who doesP 

And to him king Agamemnon, answering, said : " O 
Menelaus, beloved of Jove, both you and I have need of 
some prudent counsel 8 , which will protect and preserve 

45 the Argives and their ships, for the mind of Jove is 
changed. He has indeed rather given his mind to Hec- 
tor's sacrifices ; for never have I beheld, nor heard from 

5 A repeller of evils. 

6 But he went to go to rouse. 

7 And coming he was welcome to him — L e. to Agamemnon. 

8 Need to thee and me of prudent counsel — i. e. is come. 



ILIAD X.— V. 18—75. 205 

one relating, thai one man planned so many arduous deeds 
in a day, as Hector, beloved of Jove, has executed upon the 
sons of the Achaeans, in this way, though the dear son 50 
neither of a goddess nor of a god. And he has done so 
many deeds as I conceive will long and for many a day be 
cause of care to the Argives 9 — for he has done as many evils 
as he devised against the Achaeans. Go then, call now 
Ajax and Idomeneus, running hastily to their ships ; and I 
will repair to noble Nestor, and exhort him to arise, that 55 
he may go to the sacred company of guards and give orders; 
for to him will they most readily listen ; and his son com- 
mands the guards, along with Meriones, the comrade of 
Idomeneus ; for to them in chief we intrusted the command 
of the guard V* 

And to him then brave Menelaus replied : " How then 60 
dost thou by thy order enjoin me, and command ? Should 
I remain there 2 with them, waiting till thou comest, or 
run back again to thee, when I have duly given them thy 
directions 3 ?" 

And to him, in return, the king of men, Agamemnon, 
said : "To wait there, lest somehow in coming we miss one 65 
another; for there are many ways throughout the camp. 
And shout aloud, where thou goest, and command them to 
be watchful, giving each man a name from his father's family, 
addressing all respectfully; nor bear thyself with a haughty 
spirit. But let us ourselves also labour 4 ; so does Jove inflict 70 
on us at our birth 5 heavy calamity 6 ." 

Thus saying, he dismissed his brother, after duly charg- 
ing him. And himself went in search of Nestor, shepherd 
of the people. And him he found on his soft couch beside 
his tent and black ship, and by him was lying his beautiful 75 



9 i e. will remember with sorrow. 

1 For them we intrusted chiefly — i. e. to command the guard. 

2 it e. not at their tents, but with the guards. 
;> When I shall have well ordered. 

1 ue.ia summoning the chiefs — themselves, not by heralds. 

5 Upon us born — when born. 6 i. e. such is our fate. 



206 ILIAD X.— V. 76—104. 

armour, a shield, and two spears, and a glittering helmet : 
beside him also was lying the embroidered belt with which 
the old man girded himself, when he armed himself for 
man-destroying war, leading on his people; for he did 

80 not give way to miserable old age. And raising him- 
self then upon his elbow, and lifting up his head, he 
addressed the son of Atreus, and questioned him in these 
words : 

" Who art thou, who thus comes t alone through the army 
to the ships, in the dark night, when other mortals sleep ? 
Art thou come in search of any of the guards, or any of 

85 thy comrades ? Speak, nor approach me in silence ; what 
wantest thou 7 ?" 

And him then answered Agamemnon, king of men : " O 
Nestor, son of Neleus, great boast of the Achaeans, thou wilt 
recognize Agamemnon, son of Atreus, whom beyond all 
Jupiter places in difficulties continually, as long as breath 

90 remains in my breast, and my knees bear me up 8 . I am 
roaming thus, because sweet sleep sits not on my eyes ; 
and the war troubles me, and calamities of the Achaeans. 
For I greatly fear for the Danaans, neither is my heart 
firm, but I am in great distress. My heart leaps without 

95 my breast, and my good limbs tremble beneath me. But 
if thou canst do aught — since neither upon thee does sleep 
come — come, let us go down to the guards, that we may 
see them, lest worn out by toil and sleepiness, they slum- 
100 ber, and altogether forget their watch. For the enemy lies 
near 9 ; nor do we at all know whether they may not be 
planning to fight even during the night." 

And to him then the Gerenian chief, Nestor, replied : 
6 ' Agamemnon, i . ost glorious, son of Atreus, king of men, 
never will wise Jove accomplish for Hector all the thoughts 
which he now doubtless hopes to effect; but I think that he 



7 What necessity (comes to) you. 

8 i. e. as long as I live and can move. 

9 And hostile men sit near. 



ILIAD \. V. 105—138. 207 

will labour under even more cares than we, should Achilles 105 
turn away his own heart from obstinate resentment. I will, 
however, readily accompany thee; and we will moreover 
rouse others, both Diomedes, skilful in the spear, and 
Ulysses, and the swift Ajax, and the gallant son 1 of Phy- 110 
leus. But I wish some 2 one, going after them, would call 
those too, both godlike Ajax, and king Idomeneus; for their 
ships are very far off, and by no means near at hand. And 
Menelaus, loved and respected though he be, I will scold, 
shouldst even thou be displeased with me, nor will I be 115 
silent, because he sleeps, and suffers thee alone to toil. 
Now ought he to labour, supplicating among all the chiefs, 
for necessity, no longer bearable, is come/' 

And him Agamemnon, king of men, addressed in return : 
u Old man, at other times I even bid thee blame him, for he 120 
is often remiss, and desires not to labour; not relaxing 
through slothfulness, nor through incapacity 3 of mind, but 
looking to me, and awaiting my directions. This time, 
however, he was up long before me, and stood beside me ; 
and I have sent him beforehand to call those whom thou 125 
seekest. Let us go then, and we shall find them in front 
of the gates among the guards ; for there I gave orders for 
them to assemble." 

And him then, the Gerenian chief, Nestor, answered: 
" So, none of the Argives will blame him nor disobey him, 130 
when he exhorts or gives orders to any." 

Thus saying, he put on his tunic 4 over his breast, and 
under his shining feet he bound the handsome sandals, and 
fastened about him with a clasp his scarlet cloak, double 5 
and ample; and the shaggy pile was thick upon it; and 135 
he seized a tough spear, pointed with iharp brass ; and 
set out to go down to the ships of the brazen-mailed 
Achaeans. First then the Gerenian chief, Nestor, roused 



Meges. 

If any one would — sell. I should be glad — or something similar. 

i. e. not from sloth, or ignorance. 

Xiriov, the under garment of men and women. 5 I. e. thick. 



208 ILIAD X.— V. 139 — 164. 

Ulysses, equal to Jove in counsel, from his sleep, calling 
him. And the voice immediately penetrated into his 
140 heart 6 , and he came forth from the tent, and addressed this 
speech to them : 

" Why roam ye thus alone through the army down to 
the ships, in ambrosial night ? what so great necessity now 
comes on you ?" 

And him answered then the Gerenian chief, Nestor: 
"O most noble son of Laertes, ever ready Ulysses, do 
145 not blame us — so great a sorrow oppresses the Achaeans. 
But follow, that we may rouse up another too, whomso- 
ever it becomes, to consult, whether to fly or fight." 

Thus he spake, and the wise Ulysses returning into his 
tent, put over his shoulders a variegated shield, and went 
150 after them. And they went on to Diomedes, son of Ty- 
deus, and him they found without in front of his tent, with 
his armour ; and his comrades slept around him. And be- 
neath their heads they had their shields, and their spears 
were stuck upright in the ground on their points ; and the 
brass glittered afar off, like the lightning of father Jove. 
155 And that hero slumbered, and under him was spread the 
hide of a wild bull ; and under his head was stretched a 
bright bolster 7 . Standing by him, the Gerenian chief, 
Nestor, awoke him, stirring him with the heel of his foot % 
and aroused him up, and in front of him thus upbraided 
him: 

66 Wake up, son of Tydeus, why all night dost thou in- 
160 dulge sleep ? Knowest thou not that the Trojans lie on the 
hill of the plain, close to the ships, and that now small 
space separates us." 

Thus he spake ; and Diomedes leaped up very hastily 
from slumber, and addressing him, uttered these winged 
words : 

" A tough one art thou, old man ; thou never ceasest 



6 But the voice immediately came to him round his mind. 

7 TcnrrjQ (pauvog — of a bright colour — perhaps of red cloth or blanketing. 



ILIAD X.— V. 1G5— 194. 209 

from labour. Are there not other sons also of the Achaeans 165 
younger, who, going in every direction, might wake up 
each of the princes ? For thou art not capable of doing this 
thyself, old man." 

And him then, in turn, the Gerenian chief, Nestor, ad- 
dressed : cc Truly, my friend, all this thou sayst rightly. 
I have good sons, and I have many people, any one of 170 
whom might go and call them. But a very great neces- 
sity presses the Achaeans ; for in short, it stands upon the 
edge 9 of a razor with all, whether the Achaeans will perish 
or be saved l . Go then, rouse now the fleet Ajax, and the 175 
son of Phyleus — for thou art younger — if thou pitiest 
me. 55 

Thus he spake ; and Diomedes put on, round his 
shoulders, the skin of a huge fierce lion, reaching to his 
feet, and took a spear. And forth he issued 2 ; and the 
hero, having roused them, led them thence. 

And when now they came to the assembled guards, they 180 
found not the commanders of the guards slumbering, but 
all were sitting vigilantly with their arms. And as dogs 
keep anxious watch round the sheep in a fold — having 
heard a fierce beast, one that comes between the hills, 185 
down the forest — and great is the clamour of men and 
dogs at him, and sleep utterly forsakes them 3 ; so sweet 
slumber departed from their eye-lids, keeping guard during 
the evil night. For they were ever turned towards the 
plain, when they heard the Trojans in motion *. And the 
old man, beholding them, was delighted, and encouraged 190 
them with his words, and addressing them, uttered these 
winged words : 

" Thus now, my dear children, keep watch ; nor let 
sleep seize upon any, lest we become a mockery to the 
enemy." 



9 Proverbial — it is a most critical, or rather perilous, moment. 
1 Whether there will be to the Achaeans a very lamentable destruction- 
or to live. 2 And he went to go. 

3 Has utterly perished to them. * Advancing. 

P 



210 ILIAD X. — V. 195 — 225. 

Thus saying, he crossed the ditch ; and him accom- 
195 panied the princes of the Argives, as many as were sum- 
moned to council. And along with these went Meriones, 
and the noble son of Nestor ; for them they summoned to 
consult with them. And having passed over the dug 
ditch, they sat down upon a clear space, where a piece of 

200 ground appeared free of dead bodies — whence the impe- 
tuous Hector, after destroying the Argives, had returned 
back, when night at length enveloped them. There sit- 
ting down, they talked with each other; and among them 
the Gerenian chief, Nestor, began in these words : 

"O friends, what man now would not obey his own 

205 daring spirit, to go to the bold Trojans — and try if he 
could capture one of the enemy in the outskirts 5 of the 
camp — or learn some intelligence among the Trojans, what 
they are planning together ; whether they intend to 

210 remain here by the ships, so near 6 , or return back again 
to the city, now they have defeated the Achaeans ? Could 
he learn all this, and come back to us in safety, great under 
heaven would be his glory amongst all men, and great 
shall be his reward. For as many chiefs as are in com- 

215 mand of vessels, they will give, each of them all a black 
sheep, a ewe, with a lamb at its udders — to that indeed no 
possession will be equal — and always shall he be a guest 
at our banquets and feasts." 

Thus he spake ; and they all became then silently quiet ; 
and the gallant Diomedes, in the midst of them, said : 

220 ■ • Nestor, my heart and bold spirit prompt me to enter 
the camp of the hostile Trojans, now so near 7 ; but if some 
other man would go along with me, there would be more 
pleasure 8 , and it would be more encouraging. For when 
two go together, the one observes before the other, how it 

225 may be an advantage to act. But if one, by himself, does 

5 Being in the extremity of it. 

6 At a distance— or rather, a small distance. 7 Being near. 
8 Hope, or perhaps confidence. 



ILIAD X.— V. 226—254. 211 

observe any thing, yet is his perception more slow, and his 

decision treble V 

Thus he spake ; and the greater number ' desired to 
accompany Diomedes. The two Ajaxes wished it, servants 
of Mars. Meriones wished it; and the son of Nestor 
very much wished it; and the son of Atreus, Mene- 
laus, skilful with the spear, wished it, and the daring 230 
Ulysses wished to penetrate into the camp of the Trojans ; 
for the spirit within his breast was ever daring. And 
among them, Agamemnon, the king of men, spake : 

" Diomedes, son of Tydeus, dear to my soul, the comrade 
thou shalt choose, whom thou wilt — the best of those who 235 
present 2 themselves, for many are ready to go. Nor do 
thou, from feelings of respect 3 , leave the better, and take 
the worse, yielding to false delicacy — looking to birth — nor 
if he be a greater king than the rest." 

Thus he spake ; for he feared for the yellow-haired 240 
Menelaus ; but the gallant Diomedes again spake amongst 
them : 

ei If then ye bid me myself select a comrade, how can I 
now forget the godlike Ulysses, whose heart is prompt 
above others, and his soul bold amid all dangers ; for 245 
Pallas Minerva loves him. If he accompany me, even from 
burning fire, we shall both return, for he is skilful in coun- 
sel beyond others *." 

And him in return the resolute and noble Ulysses ad- 
dressed : " Son of Tydeus, neither praise me beyond mea- 
sure, nor at all blame, for thou art speaking among Argives 250 
who know these things. Let us be going then, for the 
night declines fast 5 , and the morning is near. And the 
stars have already far advanced, and the greater portion of 
the night, by two parts, has gone by, but the third portion 
still remains." 

9 i. e. neither so shrewd in observation, nor so decisive in action. 

1 i. e. of the council. 

2 Appear — show themselves. 

8 Having respect for in thy feelings. 

4 He knows how to think or deliberate — above others. 5 Much. 

p 2 



212 ILIAD X.— V. 255—284. 

Thus they spake, and girded on their terrible armour. 

255 To Tydides, Thrasymedes, firm in war, gave a two-edged 
sword, for his own was left at the ships, and a shield. And 
upon his head he placed his bull's-hide helmet, uncombed 
and uncrested, which is called cataityx 6 , and protects the 
heads of vigorous youths. And Meriones gave a bow, and 

260 quiver, and sword, to Ulysses, and put upon his head a 
helmet made of hide ; and within, it was firmly fastened 
with many thongs ; whilst without, the white teeth of an 

265 ivory-tusked boar in rows on either side covered 7 it well, 
and skilfully ; and in the midst it was stuffed with felt 8 . 
That Autolycus once brought from Eleon, the city of 
Amyntor, the son of Hormenus, when he broke into his 
strong mansion 9 . In Scandeia, however, he gave it to 
Amphidamus, the Cytherian ; and Amphidamus bestowed 

270 it upon Molus, to be a gift of hospitality, and he, again, 
gave it to his son, Meriones, to be worn. Then at last, 
fastened round, it pressed the head of Ulysses. And 
they, when they were girt in dreadful arms, set out to go, 
and left all the chiefs at the same place. And to them, 

275 near their road, Pallas Minerva sent a heron upon the right 
hand ; and they discerned it not with their eyes, because 
of the dark night, but heard it screaming. And Ulysses 
was delighted on account of the bird, and prayed to 
Minerva : 

(i Hear me, child of aegis-bearing Jove, who dost ever 
stand by me in all labours, nor do I ever stir unseen by 

280 thee. Now again, O Minerva, especially favour me ; and 
grant that, covered with glory, we may return back to the 
ships, having performed some mighty deed, which will 
distress the Trojans \ 

Then the brave Diomedes, in his turn, next prayed : 
"Now hear me also, daughter of Jove, invincible. Ac- 



6 A lighter sort of helmet so named — a skull-cap. 

7 Had. s Felt was fitted. 
9 i. e. in sacking a captured town. 

1 Will be a care to them — i. e. a calamity, which they will not soon forget. 



ILIAD X.— V. 285—311. 213 

company me, as when thou didst accompany my father, 
noble Tydeus, to Thebes, what time he went as an ambas- 285 
Bador for the Achaeans ; and left the brazen-mailed Achaeans 
at the Asopus, and bore thither 2 himself a mild message 
to the Cadmaeans : and returning, performed very arduous 
deeds, with thy aid 3 , O noble goddess, when thou didst 290 
stand beside him, propitious. So now willingly stand by 
me and protect me : and in return I will sacrifice to thee 
an heifer of a year old, broad-fronted, untamed, which man 
has not yet brought under the yoke. This I will sacrifice 
to thee, gilding its horns 4 ." 

Thus they spake, praying ; and Pallas Minerva heard 295 
them. And after they had supplicated the daughter of 
mighty Jove, they went onward, like two lions, in the dark 
night, through slaughter, through dead bodies, through 
arms and black blood. 

Nor did Hector allow the bold Trojans to sleep; but 
summoned together all the chiefs, as many as were leaders 300 
and commanders of the Trojans. Having called them to- 
gether, he proposed 5 a prudent plan : 

ei Who will undertake to execute 6 for me this deed, for 
a great reward ? For his reward shall be ample ; for a 
car and two horses, with arching necks, which excel 305 
in speed, at the swift-sailing ships of the Achaeans 7 , 
will I give to him who will venture — and he will win 
glory for himself — to go down close to the quick-sailing 
ships, and learn whether the swift ships are guarded as 
formerly, or whether now, defeated by our hands, they 310 
are meditating flight among themselves, or are 8 unable 



2 '%. e. to Thebes. 3 With thee. 

4 Pouring gold round its horns. 

5 Framed — perfected. 

u Undertaking, will execute, &c. 

7 apuTTtvuxji — i. e. which are among the best, belonging to the Achceans 
now at their ships. 
a Will not. 



214 ILIAD X.— V. 312—338. 

to keep watch during the night, worn out with grievous 
toil 9 ." 

Thus he spake ; and they were all silently quiet. But 
there was among the Trojans one Dolon, a son of Eume- 

315 des, a divine herald, possessed of much gold and much 
brass, who in appearance was indeed contemptible, but 
swift of foot ; and he was an only son, with five sisters. 
He then, standing by, addressed himself to the Trojans 
and Hector: 

a Hector, my heart and bold spirit prompt me to go 

320 down close to the quick-sailing ships, and learn what is 
going on. Come, then, raise up thy sceptre to me, and 
swear to me, that thou wilt give me the horses, and the 
car adorned with brass, which bear the illustrious son of 
Peleus; and I will not be an useless spy to thee, nor 

325 disappoint thine expectation *. For I will go into the 
camp, right through till I reach Agamemnon's ship, 
where the chiefs, perchance, are planning either to fly or 
fight." 

Thus he spake; and Hector took the sceptre in his 
hands, and swore to him : a Let Jove himself now know, 

330 the loudly-thundering spouse of Juno — no other man of 
the Trojans shall be borne by those horses 2 ; but I 
declare that thou shalt exult for ever in the possession of 
them." 

Thus he spake, and swore, what 3 was not destined to be 

335 accomplished, and urged him to set out. And immediately 
he threw round his shoulders his bent bow, and put on 
over it * the hide of a grey wolf, and upon his head a casque 
of weasel-skin; and seized a sharp javelin. And he set 



9 He wishes to know whether they are keeping watch — and if not, 
whether the neglect arises from their preparation for flight, or from sheer 
exhaustion. 

1 Nor from expectation. 2 Shall ride — or be driven in that car. 

3 einopKov — falsely, or a false oath — not with a false intent — he only 
swore to grant his request, if in his power of course. * Outside. 



ILIAD X.— V. 339 — 368. 215 

out from the camp, towards the ships— never, however, 
to bring back intelligence to Hector, returning from the 
shins. And when now he left behind him the crowd of 
horses and men, he with eagerness held on his way. And 
him advancing, the godlike Ulysses observed, and said to 340 
Diomedes : 

" That man, Diomedes, is coming from the camp — I know 
not whether as a spy upon our vessels, or to plunder some 
of the dead bodies. But let us suffer him first to pass by 
a little along the plain, and then, rushing suddenly on him, 345 
seize him. And if he outstrip us in speed, pursuing him 
with a spear, let us constantly push 5 him from the camp 
towards the ships, lest by chance he escape towards the 
city." 

Then having thus spoken, they lay down out of the path 350 
among the dead bodies; and he, with imprudence, ran hastily 
past. And when now he was as far off as are furrows made 
by mules 6 — for they are better than oxen to drag the strong 
plough through the deep fallow — -the two ran after him ; 
and he halted, hearing a noise. For he hoped within his 355 
heart, that his comrades had come from the Trojans to turn 
him back, Hector having given fresh orders 7 . But when 
now they were distant a spear's cast, or even less, he knew 
the men were enemies, and moved his swift knees to fly ; 
and they immediately started in pursuit of him. And as 360 
when two strong-toothed dogs, skilled in hunting, ever 
unremittingly pursue through the woody grounds either a 
fawn or a hare, and it runs screaming before them ; so did 
Tydides, and Ulysses, destroyer of cities, pursue him ever 
steadily, cutting him off from his people. And when now, 365 
flying towards the ships, he would have speedily mingled 
with the guards, then indeed Minerva put fresh might into 
Tydides, that none of the brazen-mailed Achaeans might be 
beforehand in boasting that he had wounded him, and he 



5 i. e. let us try to push, &c. 

6 i. e. the length of a furrow in a field so ploughed. 

7 Hector having again ordered. 



216 ILIAD X.— V. 369—399. 

himself come second. For the gallant Diomedes, rushing 
on him with his spear, addressed him : 

370 " Either stop, or I will overtake thee with my spear ; nor 
do I think that thou wilt long escape certain destruction 
from my hand." 

He said, and hurled his spear, but intentionally missed 
the man. And over his right shoulder the point of the 
well-polished spear stuck in the ground. And then he stopt 

375 and trembled, stammering, while his teeth chattered 8 , pale 
through fear. Panting they overtook him, and seized his 
hands ; and weeping, he thus spake : 

"Take me alive, and I will ransom myself; for I have 
at home 9 brass, and gold, and well- wrought iron; from 

380 which my father will bestow upon you an immense ran- 
som, if he learn that I am alive at the ships of the 
Achaeans." 

And him the wily Ulysses answering, said : " Take cou- 
rage, nor let death be at all in thy mind ; but come, tell 

385 me this, and state it correctly. Why comest thou thus 
alone from the camp towards the fleet, in the dark night, 
and when other mortals sleep ? Is it to plunder any of the 
dead bodies ; or did Hector send thee forth to reconnoitre 
every thing at the hollow ships ? Or did thy own spirit 
prompt thee }" 

390 And him then Dolon answered, while his knees trem- 
bled under him : ee Into great troubles, contrary to my 
will, has Hector led me, who promised to give me the 
solid-hoofed horses of the illustrious son of Peleus, and his 
car, ornamented with brass. And he bade me, setting out, 

395 in the swift black night, approach near the enemy, and 
learn whether the swift ships were guarded as before, or 
whether now, defeated by our hands, ye were planning 
flight among yourselves, and were not able to keep watch 
during the night, worn out with severe labour." 



8 And there was a chattering of teeth in his mouth. 

9 Within my house. 



I LAID X.— V. 400—430. 217 

Then, smiling, the wily Ulysses addressed him : " Well, 400 
certainly thy spirit aimed at mighty gifts — the horses of 
the warlike .Eacides; for they are difficult to be controlled 
by mortal men, and to be driven by any other than Achilles, 
to whom an immortal mother gave birth. But come, tell 
me this, and state it correctly ; where now, coming hither, 405 
didst thou leave Hector, shepherd of the people ? Where 
lies his martial armour, and where his horses ? And how 
are the stations and the beds of the other Trojans placed? 
What are they planning among themselves ? Do they in- 
tend to remain there at a short distance from the ships a , 410 
or will they return again to the city, now 2 they have de- 
feated the Achaeans ?" 

And Dolon, the son of Eumedes, in reply, said to him : 
" I will indeed tell these things to thee very exactly. 
Hector, with those who are counsellors, is planning 415 
plans by the tomb of the divine Ilus, apart from the 
tumult: and as to the guards of which thou inquirest, 
hero, no selected 3 band protects or watches the camp. 
All the fires * belong to the Trojans, whose business it is, 
and they keep awake, and exhort each other to be on 420 
their guard. But the allies, summoned from afar, on the 
contrary, sleep ; for they leave it to the Trojans to keep 
watch, for neither their children nor their wives lie near 
them 5 ." 

And to him, the wily Ulysses, answering, said : " But 
now how do they sleep, mingled with the Trojans, tamers 425 
of horses, or apart ? Tell me, that I may know." 

And him then Dolon, the son of Eumedes, answered : 
" I will indeed state also these things with the utmost cor- 
rectness. Towards the sea, are the Cares and Paeones, 
armed with bent bows, and the Leleges and Caucones, and 
noble Pelasgi. And towards Thymbra, the Lycians have 430 

1 By the ships, a little way off. 2 After, or since. 

3 KiicpinEvri, scil. <f>v\aicr) — selected, or appointed — i. e. there is no parti- 
cular guard, but all are on the alert. 4 Fire-places. 
5 As if they had only themselves to take care of. 



218 ILIAD X.— V. 431—461. 

their stations 6 , and the noble Mysians, and the Phrygians, 
tamers of horses, and the Mseonian cavalry 7 . But why 
inquire ye of me these particulars ? For if ye now seek 
to penetrate into the camp 8 of the Trojans — there are the 
Thracians newly arrived, they are apart, the farthest off of 
all the others. And among them is their king Rhesus, 

435 the son of Eioneus, whose horses are the most beautiful 
and largest I have seen 9 . They are whiter than snow, and 
like the winds in speed 1 . And his car is beautifully 
adorned with both gold and silver ; and he himself comes, 
with armour, golden, prodigious — a wonder to be seen ; 

440 not at all fit for mortal men to wear, but for immortal 
gods. But now take me to the swift ships, or binding me 
with a ruthless bond, leave me here until ye go and make 

445 trial of me, whether I have spoken to you according to 
truth or not." 

And then brave Diomedes, looking sternly, addressed 
him : " Do not put in thy mind the thought of escape from 
me, Dolon — though reporting good tidings — -since thou 
hast come into my hands. For if we should now dismiss 

450 thee, or let thee go 2 , hereafter again thou wouldst surely 
return to the swift ships of the Achaeans, either to explore, 
or to fight against us. But if, subdued by my hands, thou 
lose thy life, thou wilt never afterwards be an injury to 
the Argives/' 

He said ; and the other was about to supplicate him, 

455 taking him by the chin with his broad hand; but flying at 
him with his sword, Diomedes smote him upon the middle 
of the neck, and cut through both tendons ; and his head, 
still muttering, was mingled with the dust. And from his 

460 head they took the weasel-skin helmet ; and the wolf-skin, 
and his bent bow and long spear : and the noble Ulysses 

6 Have their lot. 

7 i. e. who fought in cars — for there were plainly no cavalry in the modern 
sense. s The crowd, or body. 

9 Perhaps, the most beautiful I ever beheld.,. " To run. 

2 Or, leave thee unhurt. 



ILIAD X.— V. 462— 484. 219 

raised them aloft with his hand to Minerva, the goddess of 
plunder 5 , and praying, spake 4 : 

" Rejoice, O goddess, in these ; for thee, first of all the 
immortals in Olympus, do we invoke 5 ; but conduct us 
likewise to the horses and beds of the Thracian men." 

Thus he said ; and raising them high above himself, he 465 
hung them on a tamarisk tree. And he placed a conspi- 
cuous mark, pulling up reeds, and the wide-spreading 
branches of the tamarisk, lest they should not find them 
again 6 when they returned in the swift black night. Then 
both advanced forward through weapons and black gore : 470 
and proceeding, they speedily came to the division of the 
Thracians. And these were sleeping, overpowered with toil, 
and their beautiful armour lay upon the ground beside 
them, in good order 7 , in three rows ; and a pair of horses 
stood by each of them. And, in the midst, slept Rhesus, 
and near him his swift horses were fastened by the reins to 
the body of the car 8 . And Ulysses first observing him, 475 
pointed out to Diomedes : 

"That is the man 9 , O Diomedes, and those are the 
horses, which Dolon, whom we slew, told us of. Come 
then, now, exert thy mighty strength, nor becomes it thee 
to stand idle with weapons ; but loosen the horses ; or 480 
slaughter thou the men, and the horses shall be my care." 

Thus he spake ; and the blue-eyed Minerva breathed 
valour into Diomedes, and he slaughtered away around 
him \ and a great groaning of those smitten with the 

3 XrjiTidi — plunderer — which warrants the usual interpretation of ayeXeirj. 

4 Uttered a word. 

5 The future used as the present tense — but the Homeric use either of 
tenses or moods must not be appreciated by the more absolute standard of 
later days. 

6 Should escape them — not be seen by them. 

7 Well — in, or as to order. 

8 Apparently the hinder (irvfjLaTrjg) part of the avrvZ,, E. 728. The 
t7ri()i(ppia.Q is equivalent to clvtvZ — for dicppog is nothing but the part of the 
car in which the parties stood. 

9 The man for thee — or that is your man . 
1 I. c. right and left. 



220 ILIAD X.— V. 485—511. 

485 sword arose ; and the earth was red with blood. And as 
a lion, coming upon unguarded flocks of goats or sheep, 
rushes on them, meditating destruction 2 , so the son of 
Tydeus fell upon the Thracians until he had slain twelve. 
And as to wise Ulysses — whomsoever Tydides, coming close, 

490 struck with the sword, him Ulysses dragged back 3 , seiz- 
ing him by the foot ; designing these things in his mind 4 , 
that the beautiful 5 horses might pass through with ease, 
nor be alarmed, when treading over the dead bodies, for as 
yet they were unused to them. And when now the son of 

495 Tydeus had reached the king, — him, the thirteenth, he de- 
prived of sweet life, while panting 6 ; for by the counsel of 
Minerva an ill dream stood over his head in the night, in 
the form of the son of Tydeus 7 : and in the mean time the 
courageous Ulysses was untying the solid-hoofed horses. 

500 And with the reins he bound them together, and drove 
them from the crowd, striking them with his bow, because 
he had not thought of taking in his hands the splendid 
lash from the well- wrought car ; and then whistled, giving 
a signal to the noble Diomedes. For he, remaining, was 
debating with himself 8 what more daring deed he should 

505 do ; whether, seizing the car 9 , where lay the embroidered 
armour, he should drag it out by the pole, or carry it out 
away, lifting it aloft x ; or take away the life of still more of 
the Thracians. Whilst he was revolving these things within 
his mind, Minerva in the mean time standing near addressed 
the noble Diomedes : 

" Think now of return to the hollow ships, son of brave 

510 Tydeus, lest thou go, when put to flight ; or lest, perchance, 
some other god rouse also the Trojans/ 5 

2 Evil things. 

3 Or apart. 4 i. e. he did so, with this view. 

5 KaWirpixtQ — refers rather to the coat than the mane. 

6 i. e. with fright occasioned by his dream. 7 Oiveidao. 
s Or, considering. 

9 i. e. the seat, or rather — for there was only standing room — the body of 
the car — very small and light. 

1 i. e. upon his head or shoulders. 



ILIAD X.— V. ;>12 — 537. 221 

Thus she spake ; and he perceived the voice of the god- 
doss who addressed him 2 , and he hastily mounted the 
horses \ And Ulysses lashed them with his bow, and they 
fled to the swift ships of the Achaeans. 

Nor had Apollo, of the silver bow, been unobservant 4 . 515 
As soon as he beheld Minerva inciting 5 the son of Tydeus, 
enraged with her he descended into the vast army of the 
Trojans, and roused Hippocoon, a counsellor of the Thra- 
cians, the gallant cousin of Rhesus. And he, leaping up 
from sleep, when he beheld the place empty where the 520 
fleet horses had stood, and the men panting amidst the foul 
slaughter, wailed aloud, and called 6 upon his dear compa- 
nion by name. And a clamour and mighty tumult of the 
Trojans running together arose, and they looked with won- 
der at all 7 the sad deeds, which had been done by the men 525 
who were now returned to the hollow ships. 

And when now they had come to the spot, where they 
slew the spy of Hector, there Ulysses, dear to Jove, stopped 
his fleet horses 8 . And Tydides, leaping to the ground, 
placed in the hands of Ulysses the bloody spoils, and then 
mounted the horses. And he lashed the steeds, and both, 530 
not unwilling, fled towards the hollow ships, for thither it 
was agreeable to their minds to go 9 . And Nestor first 
heard the sound, and said : 

£( O friends, leaders and princes of the Argives, shall I 
speak false, or say the truth ? For my heart bids me 
speak. The sound of swift-footed steeds strikes upon my 535 
ears. O that now Ulysses and the gallant Diomedes may 
be thus speedily driving some solid-hoofed horses from the 

2 Speaking to. 3 i. e. they rode the horses — leaving the car behind. 

4 Had not kept a negligent look-out. 

5 [itTa — kirovaav. So in E. 329. 6 And named. 

7 As many as. 

8 The same phrases are used, as if they were driving a ear. 

9 By construction the phrase applies to the horses — not to Ulysses and 
Diomedes. It is of frequent occurrence (for instance, A. 520), though inap- 
propriate here. Such malapropos phrases are attributable to the lack of 
critical skill in the ancient or original editors of Homer. 

12 



222 ILIAD X.— V. 538—567. 

Trojans. But greatly do I fear in my mind, lest these 
bravest of the Argives suffer something from the pursuit of 
the Trojans.' 5 

540 The whole speech was not yet uttered, when they them- 
selves arrived. And then they alighted on the ground, and 
their friends rejoicing, saluted them with the right hand 
and kind expressions. And first the Gerenian chief, Nes- 
tor, questioned them : 

" Come, tell me, most excellent Ulysses, great glory of 

545 the Achaeans, how took ye these horses ? Penetrating into 
the camp of the Trojans ? or did some god, meeting, give 
them to you ? Greatly are they like the rays of the sun K 
I am always fighting 2 with the Trojans, nor can I say that 
I, though an aged warrior, remain at the ships ; but I have 

550 never seen nor remarked such horses, and I think that 
some god, meeting you, has given them. For cloud- 
compelling Jove loves you both, and the daughter of the 
aegis-bearing Jove, the blue-eyed Minerva. 5 ' 

And to him the wise Ulysses, answering, said : " O Nes- 

555 tor, offspring of Neleus, great glory of the Achaeans, easily 
could a god, were he willing, have given better horses 
even than these, for there are far better 3 . But these 
steeds about which thou inquirest, old man, are Thracian, 
newly arrived; and the brave Diomedes slew their lord, 

560 and beside him twelve companions, all the noblest. The 
thirteenth, a spy, we killed, near the ships — a man whom 
Hector sent forth, and the other illustrious Trojans, to 
reconnoitre our army V 

Thus saying, he drove the solid-hoofed horses across the 

565 ditch 5 , exulting in glory ; and with him went the other 
Achaeans rejoicing. And when they came to the well- 
constructed tent of Tydides, they fastened the steeds with 

1 i. e. dazzling white. 

2 Mingling — i. e . in conflict. Though I am much in the field, and so see 
much of the Trojan horses, I never observed such among them. 

3 Possibly — for they are far more powerful than men — meaning the gods 
are. — 3>. 264. 4 To be an explorer of our army. 

5 i. e. by the bdog iTnrrjXaffia. H. 340. 



ILIAD X.— V. 5G8— 579. 223 



rood 8 halters at the horse-crib, where stood the swift-footed 



horses of Diomedes, eating sweet corn. And in the stern 570 
of his vessel Ulysses laid the bloody spoils of Dolon, until 
they' could make them ready as a sacred gift to Minerva 8 . 
Then going into the sea, they washed off the great sweat 
from their legs, and their neck, and their thighs. And when 
the water of the sea had washed off the great sweat from 575 
their bodies, and their hearts were refreshed 9 , then, enter- 
ing the well-polished baths, they bathed ; and both having 
bathed and anointed themselves with rich oil, they sat 
down to a feast, and taking from a full bowl, they made 
an oblation of sweet x wine to Minerva. 

6 Well cut — i. e. from skins — the halters were strips of hide. 

7 i. ( ■■. Ulysses and Diomedes. 

b i. e. till they could dedicate — or suspend them in some temple of 
Minerva. 

9 Refreshed as to their hearts — when they had thus cooled themselves. 
1 With the sweetness of honev. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER. 



BOOK XL 



ARGUMENT. 



Agamemnon distinguishes himself. He is wounded, and retires. Diomedes 
is wounded by Paris ; Ulysses by Socus. Ajax, with Menelaus, flies to 
the relief of Ulysses, and Eurypylus, soon after, to the relief of Ajax. 
While he is employed in assisting Ajax, he is shot in the thigh by Paris, 
who also wounds Machaon. Nestor conveys Machaon from the field. 
Achilles dispatches Patroclus to the tent of Nestor, and Nestor takes 
that occasion to exhort Patroclus to engage in battle, clothed in the 
armour of Achilles. 

And Aurora rose from her couch, beside the beautiful 
Tithonus, that she might carry light to immortals and to 
mortals ; and Jupiter sent forth fell Discord to the swift 
ships of the Achaeans, holding in her hands the signal of 
5 war; and she stood 1 upon the huge 2 black ship of Ulysses, 
which 3 was in the midst 4 , that she might be heard 5 on 
both sides, as well at the tents of the Telamonian Ajax, as 
at those of Achilles ; for those two had drawn up 6 their 
good 7 ships at the extremities, relying on their valour and 



1 i. e. in a more artificial construction — When Aurora rose, Jove sent 
Discord, and she stood, &c. 

2 As large as a whale. 3 rj pa — i. e. the ship which, &c. 
4 i. e. in the middle of the line or lines. 5 To shout audibly to. 
6 Or hauled on shore. 1 £ioa.£. 



ILIAD XI.— V. 10—38. 225 

the might of their hands. There the goddess, standing, at 10 
the top of her voice ', shouted loudly and terribly to the 
Achaeans ; and implanted mighty strength in each heart, to 
fight and combat incessantly. And immediately war be- 
came more sweet to them, than to return in the hollow 
ships to their dear native land. And the son of Atreus 15 
shouted aloud, and ordered the Argives to be girded ; and 
himself put on his splendid armour 2 . First, round his 
legs he put his beautiful greaves, fitted with silver clasps ; 
next, on his breast he put the corselet, which Cinyras once 20 
gave him, to be a memorial of hospitality. For he had 
heard at Cyprus 3 a great rumour, that the Achaeans were 
going to sail against Troy in ships ; and on that account 
gave him this, gratifying the king. And ten stripes of it 
(the corselet) were of dark metal 4 , and twelve of gold, and 25 
twenty of tin 5 ; and three azure serpents on each side 
stretched towards the neck, like rainbows, which the son 
of Saturn fixes in the clouds, a sign to articulate-speaking 
men. Then round his shoulders he threw his sword 6 , and 30 
on it glittered golden studs ; and the sheath around it was 
of silver, attached to the belt by golden suspenders. Next 
he seized his good 7 shield, ample 8 , variously wrought, and 
beautiful, round which were ten brazen rings. And upon 
it were twenty white bosses of tin, and in the midst 9 was 35 
one of dark metal. And a grim-visaged Gorgon crowned 10 
it, looking horribly ; and around were Terror and Flight. 
And its handle 11 was of silver, and an azure snake was 



I opQta. 2 Brass. 

3 K.V7rpovdt — i. e. one which has reached even to Cyprus. 

4 Kvavoq — the specific metal is not ascertained. 

3 The corselet, apparently, was of chain or scale mail ; and the oipoi, 
layers, laminse, or lines, which were, successively, or in some particular 
order, of different metals. 6 i. e. hung by a belt. 

7 acnrida zovpiv — light — or rather, one which from its construction he 
could move about with facility. 8 Covering the man — a\ityi — from top to toe. 

9 i. e. of the twenty. 10 i. e. was in the centre of it. 

II The rtXafxojv here is the fixed handle — not the flexible belt, with which 
the shield was suspended from the shoulders. 

Q 



226 ILIAD XL— V. 39 — 71. 

twisted round it, and there were three heads entwined, 

40 sprung from one neck. And upon his head he placed his 
helmet, double coned, with four bosses \ and a crest of 
horse-hair, and the crest nodded awfully from above. And 
he took two tough spears, pointed with brass, and sharp ; 
and the brass glittered from them afar, even to heaven; 

45 and Minerva and Juno thundered above to honour the king 
of wealthy Mycene 2 . 

Then each gave orders to his own driver to hold there 
his horses in good order by the ditch; and themselves 
armed on foot, with their weapons, rushed forth; and a 

50 mighty clamour arose, before morning. Quickly, along 
with the drivers, were they drawn up in front at the ditch 
— but the drivers were a little behind ; and the son of Sa- 
turn excited a dreadful tumult, and sent down a shower of 
blood 3 from the air above, because he was going to dispatch 

55 many gallant men 4 to Hades. 

And the Trojans, again, on the other side, formed on the 
hill of the plain round mighty Hector, and good Poly da- 
mas, and iEneas, who, among the Trojans, was honoured 
by the people as a god, and the three sons of Antenor, 

60 Polybus, and the noble Agenor, and the youthful Acamas, 
like immortals. And Hector in the van bore his shield, 
equal on all sides 5 . And as a portentous star makes its 
appearance from the clouds, shining, and then again enters 
the black clouds ; so Hector, giving orders, appeared 

65 now among the first, and now among the last; and he 
was all glittering with brass, like the 1 lightning of aegis- 
bearing Jove. 

And they — as reapers opposite to each other, form 

70 swathes of wheat or barley along the field of a rich 6 man, 
and the frequent handfuls fall, — so Trojans Achaeans, 



1 See E. 743. 2 Mycene with much gold. 

3 Dews wet with blood — or whose moisture was blood. 4 Heads. 

5 A periphrasis, which may mean round, or square, or, what is perhaps the 
case here, oblong, the opposite sides of which are equal. Z. 1 17. 
c Happy. 

12 



ILIAD XI.— V. 72—101. 227 

Leaping upon one another, slew; and neither thought of 
pernicious flight. And they held their heads equal in 
combat ; and they rushed on like wolves, and cruel 7 Dis- 
cord, looking on, exulted ; for she alone of the gods was 
then present with them, whilst contending. And the other 75 
gods were not with them, but sat quiet in their mansions ; 
where beautiful apartments were built for each, along 
the ridges of Olympus. And all were finding fault with 
the cloud-collecting son of Saturn, because he wished 
to give glory to the Trojans. These, however, the father 80 
regarded not; and retiring by himself, sat down apart 
from the others exulting in glory, looking both at the 
city of the Trojans, and the ships of the Achaeans, 
and the splendour of armour 8 , and the destroyers, and 
destroyed. 

As long as it was morning, and the sacred day was 
increasing, so long the weapons flew fast upon both sides, 85 
and the people fell. But at the time when the wood- 
cutter gets ready his dinner in the glens of a mountain, 
when he has wearied 9 his hands, cutting lofty trees, and 
exhaustion 1 has come upon his spirit, and the desire of 
agreeable food seizes his breast ; at that time the Danaans 
by their valour, broke through the phalanxes, cheering 90 
their companions along the ranks. And Agamemnon 
first sprang forward, and slew the hero Bianor himself, 
shepherd of people, and then his comrade, Oileus, his 
driver. For he then, leaping from the car, stood against 
him; but Agamemnon smote him, as he ivas rushing 
straight forward, with his sharp spear, in the forehead ; 95 
nor did the helmet of stout brass retard the weapon, but it 
passed through both it, and the bone, and all the brain 
within was scattered. Him, then, while rushing towards 
him, he subdued. And Agamemnon, king of men, left 
them there with their bosoms bare, when he had stript off 100 
their tunics. Next he went to slay Isus and Antiphus, 

7 Of many groans— i. e. causing them. a Brass. 

9 Satiated. , Satiety. 

q2 



228 ILIAD XI.— V. 102—130. 

two sons of Priam, the one illegitimate, and the other legi- 
timate, being both in one car. The spurious son drove the 
car, whilst the illustrious Antiphus fought 2 . These 
Achilles once bound with soft osiers on the summits of 

105 Ida, taking them when watching over their flocks ; and he 
set them at liberty for a ransom 3 . Now, however, the son 
of Atreus, the wide ruling Agamemnon, struck one upon 
the breast above the pap with his spear; and, again, he 
smote Antiphus beside the ear with his sword, and dashed 

110 him from the car. In haste 4 he plundered them of their 
beautiful armour, recognising them; for he had formerly 
seen them at the swift ships, when the swift-footed 
Achilles brought them from Ida. And as a Hon easily 
crushes the little fawns of the nimble stag, seizing them 

115 in his strong teeth, entering into their covert, and deprives 
them of 5 their tender life ; and she, although she happen 
to be very near, cannot ward off the peril, for a dreadful 
tremor comes over herself; but hastening, she rushes 
fleetly through the dense oak-thickets and forests, sweat- 
ing 6 at the attack of the savage beast. So no one of the 

120 Trojans was then able to ward off destruction from those 
two, but were themselves also routed by the Argives. 
Next Agamemnon attacked Pisander and bold Hippolo- 
chus, sons of the warlike Antimachus — he who, in par- 
ticular, accepting gold — rich gifts from Alexander — would 
not suffer 7 him to restore Helen to the yellow-haired 

125 Menelaus. His two sons, then, the king of men, Aga- 
memnon, seized — being in one car, for they drove their 
fleet horses together — for the splendid reins had dropt 
from their hands, and they were confounded. And the 
son of Atreus rushed against them like a lion ; and they, 

130 on the other hand, supplicated from the car : 

2 Fought from the chariot. 

3 Receiving a ransom. 

4 Hastening. 

5 And takes away from them. 

c i, e. with fright, or with her own exertions to escape. 

7 i. e. resisted the proposal on the part of the Trojans to restore her. 



ILIAD XL— V. 131 — 160. 229 

u Take us alive, son of Atreus, and receive thou worthy 
ransom. For many treasures lie in the houses of An- 
timachus, brass, gold, and well-wrought iron 8 . From 
these our father will present thee with a boundless ran- 135 
som, if he hear that we are alive at the ships of the 
Achaeans." 

Thus both, weeping, addressed the king with soothing 
words; but received no soothing answer 9 . i( If indeed ye 
be the sons of the warlike Antimachus, who once, in an 
assembly of the Trojans, advised them there to put to 140 
death Menelaus, though coming as an ambassador along 
with the godlike Ulysses, and not to send him back to 
the Achaeans — now surely ye shall receive punishment for 
the foid insult of your father." 

He said, and drove Pisander from his horses to the 
ground, striking him on the breast with his spear ; and he 
was stretched supine upon the soil. And Hippolochus 145 
leapt down; and him next he slew upon the ground, 
lopping off his hands with his sword, and cutting off his 
head ' ; and it, like a mortar, he hurled forward to roll 
through the crowd. These then he quitted; and where 
most phalanxes were in conflict, thither he ran, and with 
him other well-greaved Achaeans. Foot slew foot flying 150 
from necessity, and horse, horse 2 (and under them arose 
the dust from the plain, which the loud-sounding feet of 
the horses threw up) slaughtering with the sword 3 ; but 
the king, Agamemnon, constantly slaying, pursued, cheer- 155 
ing the Argives. And as when devouring fire falls upon 
a forest full of trees, and the whirling wind bears it on all 
sides, and the branches fall with the roots, overcome by the 
violence of the flame ; so fell the heads of the flying Tro- 
jans, under the hands of Agamemnon, the son of Atreus, \qq 
and many high-necked horses rattled their empty cars 



8 Or, much — perhaps manufactured articles of iron — swords, pikes, &c. 
3 But heard an unkind word. ' Neck. 

s l. e. the warriors from the cars. 
3 With brass. 



230 ILIAD XL— V. 161—188. 

along the field of battle 4 without their brave drivers ; for 
they lay upon the earth, far more dear to vultures than to 
their wives. 

Jove withdrew Hector from the weapons, and from the 
dust, and from the slaughter, and from the blood, and 

165 the tumult; and Atrides pursued, vehemently exhorting 
the Danaans. And the Trojans rushed along the middle 
of the plain, past the tomb of Ilus, the son of old 
Dardanus, towards the wild fig-tree 5 , eager to reach the 
city ; and Atrides, shouting, still followed them, and 
stained his invincible hands with gore. But when now 

170 they reached the Scaean gates and the beech-tree 5 , there 
at length they halted, and awaited each other. Others, 
however, still fled through the middle of the plain, like 
herds of cows, which a lion, coming at the milking hour 6 
of night, puts trembling to flight —all, but to some one 
dreadful destruction is apparent. And of that one he 

175 breaks the neck, seizing it in his strong teeth ; and then 
sucks both the blood and all the entrails. So the son of 
Atreus, king Agamemnon, pressed upon them, always 
killing the hindermost, while they fled. And many fell 
prone and supine from their cars beneath the hands of the 

180 son of Atreus ; for around, and before the rest, he raged 
with his spear. But when now he was on the point of 
reaching 7 the city and the lofty wall, then at last the 
father both of men and gods, seated himself upon the tops 
of Ida, abounding in springs — descending from heaven. 
And he held the lightning in his hands, and dispatched the 

185 golden- winged Iris with a message 8 . 

(< Away, swift Iris, deliver this message to Hector. As 
long as he sees Agamemnon, shepherd of the people, 
raging among the foremost combatants, destroying ranks of 

4 The bridges of war — i. e. the spaces between the lines of the combatants. 

5 The fig-tree, and beech-tree, may express, not single trees, but planta- 
tions, or groves of these trees. 

G Or rather the dead or depth of the night — whatever the derivation of 
afxoXyog. 

7 When he was soon going to arrive, &c. 8 Announcing. 



ILIAD XL— V. 189—217. 231 

men, so long Let himself keep in the rear, and let him ex- 
hort the rest of the army to fight with the enemy in fierce 190 
buttle. But when he (Agamemnon), either struck by a 
spear, or wounded by an arrow, shall leap into his car 9 , 
then will I supply himself (Hector) with strength i to kill 
[the Aelueans) until he reach the well-benched ships, and 

the sun set, and awful 2 darkness come on/ 5 

... * 
Thus he spake, nor did the rapid Iris, swift on her feet 195 

as the wind, disobey ; but descended from the heights of 
Ida towards sacred Ilium. And she found the noble Hec- 
tor, son of warlike Priam, standing in the midst of the 
horses and compact cars ; and standing near him, the 
swift-footed Iris said : 

iC Hector, son of Priam, equal to Jove in counsel, Ju- 200 
piter has sent me forth to deliver this message to thee. 
As long as thou seest Agamemnon, shepherd of the people, 
raging among the foremost combatants, and destroying 
ranks of men, so long do thou withdraw from combat, and 
exhort the rest of the army to fight with the enemy in 205 
fierce battle. But when either struck with a spear, or 
wounded by an arrow, he shall leap into his car, then will 
he (Jove) supply thee with strength to kill, until thou 
reach the well-benched ships, and the sun set, and awful 
darkness come on." 

Thus having spoken, the swift-footed Iris departed. 210 
And Hector sprang with his armour from his car to the 
ground, and brandishing sharp spears, ranged on all sides 
through the army, encouraging them to fight ; and stirred 
up furious battle. Then rallied they again, and faced the 
Achaeans ; and the Argives, on the other hand, strength- 215 
ened their columns. And the battle was renewed, and 
they stood front to front 3 . And Agamemnon first rushed 
out, for he wished to fight far in front of all. 

Tell me now, ye Muses, possessing Olympian mansions, 

Lit. leap upon his horses — L e. shall step into his car. 

1 Then will I put strength into his hands to him. 

* Sacred. 3 Opposite. 



232 ILIAD XL— V. 218—245. 

220 who first now came opposed to Agamemnon, either of the 
Trojans themselves, or of their noble allies. Iphidamas, 
son of Antenor, both handsome and tall, who was brought 
up in fertile Thrace, mother of sheep. Cisseus, his mater- 
nal grandfather, who begot the fair-cheeked Theano, brought 
him up in his house, while yet a little one : and when he 

225 had attained the full measure of glorious youth, he there 
detained him ; and he gave him his own daughter. And 
having married her, he went from the bridal- chamber, on 
the rumour of the Achaean s i with twelve curved s ships, 
which accompanied him. The good ships indeed he after- 

230 wards left at Percope ; and he, on foot, arrived at Troy — 
it was he who then came against Agamemnon, the son of 
Atreus. And when these, advancing against each other, 
were now near, the son of Atreus missed, and his spear 
was turned aside past him ; s but Iphidamas struck him 

235 upon the belt, under 6 the corselet ; and he drove the spear 
with great force, trusting to his heavy hand 7 . Yet the 
point pierced not the embroidered belt 8 , but encountering 
the silver long before, was bent like lead. And the wide- 
ruling Agamemnon, seizing it in his hand, pulled it towards 
him, exasperated, like a lion, and wrenched it out of his 

240 hand 9 ; and with his sword smote him upon the neck, and 
loosened his limbs. Thus he, falling there, slept the 
brazen sleep, assisting his fellow-countrymen, — unhappy 
man, far from his young wedded virgin, whose favours he 
had not known l , and for whom he had given 2 much — first 
he gave an hundred oxen, and next pledged himself for a 

245 thousand goats and sheep together, which were guarded 

4 i. e. of their expedition against Troy. 

5 With high curved prows. 

6 Within. 

7 i. e. with all the force of his heavy hand. 

8 i. e. the inner belt. 

9 Out of the hand qf Iphidamas — Iphidamas did not hurl the spear, but 
used it like a pike. 

1 Or rather had had but brief enjoyment. 

2 i. e. to her parents. 



ILIAD XI.— V. 240 — 273* 233 

for him in great numbers. Then, however, Agamemnon, 
son of Atreus, stript the body, and hastened, bearing the 
rich armour, to the army of the Achseans. And when 
Coon, the eldest born of Antenor, distinguished among 250 
men, beheld him, strong grief seized his eyes 3 , for his 
fallen brother; and he stood sideways with his spear, 
unseen by the noble Agamemnon. And he wounded him 
in the middle of the arm, below the elbow, and the point 
of the shining spear pierced through to the other side. 
Then did Agamemnon, king of men, shudder; yet not 
even thus did he abstain from battle and war, but rushed 255 
upon Coon with his strong spear *. He (Coon) indeed 
was eagerly dragging by the foot Iphidamas his brother, 
and begot by the same father 5 , and was calling upon all 
the chiefs ; but Agamemnon wounded him with his polished 
brazen spear below the bossy shield, whilst thus dragging 260 
his brother through the crowd, and loosened his limbs; 
and, standing beside him, cut off his head over 6 Iphidamas. 
There the sons of Antenor, fulfilling their destiny by the 
hands of the king, son of Atreus, descended down to the 
abode of Pluto. 

And Agamemnon ranged about along the ranks of 
the other men, with his spear, and his sword, and huge 265 
stones, whilst the warm blood yet spouted from the wound. 
When, however, the wound grew dry, and the blood ceased 
to flow, sharp pains penetrated 7 into the vigour of the son 
of Atreus. And as when the sharp and bitter weapon of 
pain seizes 8 a woman in labour, — the pain which the 270 
Eileithyiae, presiders over child-birth, inflict, the daughters 
of Juno, keeping bitter pains in their possessions ; so did 
sharp anguish penetrate the strength of the son of Atreus. 



Covered him as to the eyes. 

4 Fed by the winds — grown in a place exposed to the winds ; or possibly, 
thrown with the force of the wind. 

5 i. e. not of the same mother. 

6 i. e. as he fell upon the dead body of Iphidamas, which he was dragging 
away. 7 Entered — sunk into. 8 Has. 



234 ILIAD . XL— V. 274—302. 

And he sprang into his car, and gave orders to the driver 
to push on towards the hollow ships ; for he was tor- 

275 tured in his heart. And crying out, he shouted aloud to 
the Danaans : 

" O my friends, leaders and princes of Argives, keep ye 
off horrid battle from the sea-crossing ships, since Jove, 
the counsellor, permits me not to combat throughout the 
day with the Trojans." Thus he spake; and his driver 

280 lashed his beautiful 9 horses towards the hollow ships ; and 
they, not unwilling, flew. And their breasts were covered 
with foam *, and they were sprinkled beneath with dust, 
bearing the afflicted king apart from the battle. 

And Hector, as soon as he observed Agamemnon retreat- 

285 ing, exhorted both the Trojans and Lycians, shouting 
aloud : a Ye Trojans, Lycians, and spear-fighting Dardans, 
be men, my friends, and exert 2 your vigorous energies. 
The bravest hero is gone; and Jove, the son of Saturn, 
gives me great glory 3 . Straightway then urge your solid- 

290 hoofed horses against the gallant Danaans, that ye may win 
more ample glory." 

Thus saying, he excited the courage and spirit of each. 
And as when perchance some huntsman animates his white- 
toothed dogs against a wild boar or lion ; so did Hector, 

295 son of Priam, equal to man-slaughtering Mars, against the 
Achaeans, animate the bold Trojans. And he himself, with 
high thoughts 4 advanced among the first, and leaped 5 into 
battle, like to a storm blowing from above, which, rushing 
down, rouses up the dark ocean. 

Then whom first, and whom last, did Hector, son of 

300 Priam, slay, when Jove gave him glory ? Assaeus first, 
and Autonoiis, and Opites, and Dolops, son of Clyteus, and 
Opheltius, and Agelaus, and iEsymnus, and Orus and 



9 KaWirpixag — which probably refers rather to the hair of the body, than 
of the mane. 1 They foamed their breasts. 

2 Remember. 3 i. e. the advantage is again with us. 

4 Thinking great things — i. e. with magnificent expectations of success. 

5 Fell. 



ILIAD XI.— V. 303—330. 235 

stout Hipponoiis. Those leaders then of the Danaans he 
slew; and afterwards the multitude 6 . As, when the west 305 
wind drives the clouds of the rapid souths striking the 
waters with a mighty blast ; and many a huge billow rolls 
along, and the foam scatters on high under the force of the 
gusty wind ; so in crowds were the people 7 subdued by 
Hector. Then indeed would there have been destruction, 310 
and irremediable deeds been done, and the flying Achaeans 
would have rushed into the ships, had not Ulysses called 
upon Diomedes, son of Tydeus : 

" Son of Tydeus, why 8 is it that we are forgetful of our 
aggressive force ? Come hither then, my friend, stand by 
me; for it will indeed be a disgrace if the plumed Hector 315 
take our ships." 

Then gallant Diomedes, answering, said to him : " Cer- 
tainly I will remain and resist ; but little will be our ser- 
vice, for cloud-compelling Jove chooses now to give glory 
to the Trojans rather than to us." 

He said, and dashed from his car to the ground Thym- 320 
braeus, striking him with his spear upon the left breast ; 
and Ulysses slew Molion, the godlike attendant of the king 9 . 
These then they quitted, when they had put an end to 
their righting 1 ; and both advancing to the ranks, threw 
them into confusion, as when two boars, full of courage 2 , 325 
rush upon the hounds 3 — so renewing the charge, they cut 
down the Trojans : and the Achaeans with pleasure breathed 
again, escaping the noble Hector. Next they took a car 
and two warriors, the bravest of the people, the two sons 
of the Percosian Merops, who, above all, was skilful in 
augury, and forbade 4 his sons to march to the deadly war ; 330 



The troops — rank and file — as distinguished from the commanders. 

7 Heads of people — i. e. great numbers of people — where Xaojv is synony- 
mous with 7r\t]Qvv, in 305. 

8 Suffering what — i. e. what is the matter with us, that we forget — do not 
exert, &c. 9 Hector. 

1 Made them cease from war. 2 Thinking greatly. 
{ The hunting dogs. 4 Did not suffer. 



236 ILIAD XL— V. 331—358. 

but they did not obey him, for the destinies of black death 
led them on. Them indeed did Diomedes, son of Tydeus, 
expert in the use of the spear, depriving 5 of life and breath, 

335 spoil of their beautiful armour. And Ulysses slew Hippo- 
damus and Hypeirochus. 

Then the son of Saturn, looking down from Ida, stretched 
battle among them on equal terms 6 ; and they slaughtered 
one another. The son of Tydeus then wounded, with his 
spear, the hero Agastrophus, the son of Paeon, on the hip ; 

340 for his horses were not at hand for him to escape ; and he 
had done very foolishly, for his attendant kept them at a 
distance, and he himself rushed on foot through the 
foremost combatants, till he lost his life. But Hector 
quickly observed 7 in the ranks, and hastened towards 
them, shouting ; and with him followed phalanxes of 

345 the Trojans. And gallant Diomedes, beholding him, 
shuddered, and immediately addressed Ulysses, who was 
near : 

ei Against ourselves then at last that destruction rolls — 
the mighty Hector. But come, let us stand firm, and, 
awaiting, repulse him" 

He said, and brandishing his long spear, hurled it, and 

350 struck him ; nor, in aiming at his head, did he miss the 
top of the helm. But the brass was repelled by the brass, 
nor reached the fair skin; for the triple-plated, beavered 
helmet stopt it — that which Phoebus Apollo gave him. 
And Hector hastily fell back a considerable space, and 

355 W as mingled with the crowd ; and sunk on his knees 8 , 
supporting himself with his strong hand on the earth, and 
black night covered his eyes. And whilst the son of 
Tydeus was following the direction 9 of his spear far 



5 Forcing them to quit. 

6 i. e. neither gave way — as if each party tugged at the ends of a rope, with 
equal strength. 

7 i. e. what Diomedes and Ulysses were doing. 

8 Stood, fallen on his knees — i. c. remained, or was in that position. 

9 The impetus, or force. 



ILIAD XI.— V. 359—383. 237 

through the foremost combatants, where it stuck ' in the 
earth. Hector recovered himself, and springing again into 
his car, drove into the ranks, and avoided black fate. 360 
And the brave Diomedes, rushing after him with his 
spear, said : 

" Again, dog, hast thou now escaped death. Truly 
destruction came close upon thee. Again has Phoebus 
Apollo, to whom thou art wont to offer up thy prayers, 
when going into the clash of spears, now rescued thee. But 
I will another time make an end of thee, falling in with thee 365 
again, if I too have an helper among the gods 2 . Now, 
however, I will go against others, whomsoever I may find." 

He said, and stript 3 the good spear-man, the son of 
Pason. And Alexander the spouse of the fair-haired 
Helen, leaning on 4 a pillar, at the tomb of Ilus 5 , the son 
of Dardanus, the aged leader, bent his bow at the son of 370 
Tydeus, shepherd of the people. He (Diomedes) indeed 
was taking off the variegated corselet from the breast of 
the gallant Agastrophus, and the shield from his shoulders, 
and his heavy casque; and Alexander drew the horn 6 of 375 
his bow, and struck him — nor did the weapon in vain 
escape from his hand — on the surface of the right foot; 
and the arrow going right through, fixed in the ground. 
And, laughing with great joy, he sprang from his ambus- 
cade, and, boasting, uttered this speech : 

* Thou art struck, and the weapon fled not from me in 380 
vain. Would that, striking thee in the bottom of thy 
belly, I had deprived thee of life. Thus would the Tro- 
jans breathe again from destruction, who now tremble at — 
thee, as bleating goats at a lion," 



1 Entered in. 

2 If there is to me also (i. e. as well as you) one of the gods a helper. 

3 Diomedes was turned towards the body of Peeonides, engaged in strip- 
ping it — and stooping, with the heel of one foot raised. 

4 Reclined behind, i. e. screened or protected by it. 

5 At the tomb, built for Ilus. 

G The elbow, or point hi the middle, where the roots of the horns met — 
the point on which the arrow rested. 



238 IJJAD XL— V. 384—413. 

To him said; undismayed, the brave Diomedes : " Bow- 

385 shooter — infamous— proud of thy curls — slave of women — 
if now in arms thou wouldst make trial of me, hand to 
hand 7 , thy bow would avail thee not, and numerous ar- 
rows 8 ; though now, on scratching the top of my foot, thou 
boastest in this way. I regard 9 it no more than if a 

390 woman had wounded me, or a foolish boy ; for the arrow 
of a feeble, worthless man, like thee, is of no force *. 
Otherwise, truly, from me — if even it but slightly touches 
a man — comes the sharp arrow, and instantly renders him 
lifeless ; and the cheeks of his wife are both lacerated, and 
his children are orphans ; for, staining the earth red with 

395 his blood, he rots; and there are more birds around him 
than women." 

Thus he spake; and Ulysses, skilful with the spear, 
coming near, stood before him ; and Diomedes, sitting 
down behind him, drew the swift arrow from his foot ; and 
sharp pain shot through his body. And he sprang into 
his car, and bade the driver push on towards the hollow 
ships ; for he was pained at heart. And the spear-skilled 

400 Ulysses was left alone ; nor did any of the Argives remain 
beside him, for fear had seized upon all. Then, distressed, 
he thus communed with his own bold spirit : 

" Alas ! what will become of me 2 ? Great indeed will 

405 be the disgrace if I fly, alarmed at the multitude ; but 
worse if I be taken alone : and the son of Saturn has 
struck with terror the rest of the Danaans. But where- 
fore does my spirit talk these things with me ? for I know 
that cowards skulk from battle; but he who is brave in 

410 combat, must firmly stand, whether he be attacked, or 
attack another." 

Whilst he was revolving these things within his mind 
and soul, ranks of the shielded Trojans came upon him, 



7 In opposition. 

8 Diomedes upbraids him with being no spearman. 

9 I regard it not, as if a woman, &c. J Blunt. 
- J What shall I suffer. See 31 3 of tins book. 



lUAi) xi.— v. ju— m. 239 

and enclosed him in the midst, bringing destruction with 
them. And as when dogs and vigorous youths around 415 
rouse up a boar, and he comes forth out of a deep thicket, 
sharpening his white tusk within his crooked jaws; and 
they rush around s ; and he grinds his teeth ; and they 
nevertheless await him, terrible as he is — so rushed then 
the Trojans round Ulysses, beloved of Jove; but he 
wounded above the shoulder the brave Deiopites first, 
springing upon him with his sharp spear ; and afterwards 420 
he slew Thocin and Ennomus. And with his spear he 
next wounded Chersidamas, when leaping from his car, in 
the navel, below the bossed shield ; and he, falling amid 
the dust, grasped the earth with his hand 4 . These he 425 
left, and next wounded with his spear Charops, the son 
of Hippasus, and own brother of the noble Socus. And 
Socus, godlike hero, advanced to give him aid; and ap- 
proaching, he stood very near, and addressed him in these 
words 5 : 

a Oh, illustrious Ulysses, inexhaustible in wiles and 430 
labours, to-day thou shalt either boast over both sons of 
Hippasus, having slain such heroes, and stripped off their 
armour, or else thou shalt lose thy life, smitten by my 
spear." 

Thus saying, he struck the shield, every where equal. 
And through the shining shield went the forceful weapon, 435 
and drove into the curiously-wrought corselet, and tore off 
all the skin from his side. But Pallas Minerva suffered 
it not to penetrate to the entrails of the hero. And 
Ulysses perceived that the weapon had not gone fatally 
into him, and falling back, he addressed this speech to 440 
Socus : 

" Ah ! wretch ; very soon will grievous destruction over- 
take thee. Thou hast indeed put a stop to my fighting 
against the Trojans; but I declare that death and black 
fate shall here be thine 6 this day ; and that, subdued by 

. e. preparing for his onset. 4 With the palm of his hand. 

3 Spake to him a word. 6 Be to thee. 



240 ILIAD XL— V. 445—472. 

445 my spear, thou shalt give glory to me, and thy soul to 
Pluto, distinguished for his horses V 

He said, and the other, turning again to flight, was re- 
treating ; but into his back, between the shoulders, while 
turned 8 , he (Ulysses) fixed the spear, and drove it through 
his breast. And falling, he made a crash, and the noble 
Ulysses gloried over him : 

450 " O Socus, son of the warlike, horse-taming Hippasus, 
the end of death, overtaking, has seized thee, nor hast thou 
escaped 9 . Ah ! wretch, thy father and venerable mother 
shall not close thine eyes for thee, though dead; and 
ravenous l birds shall tear thee, flapping their wings frequent 

455 over thee : but when I die, the noble Achaeans shall pay 
me funeral honour/ 5 

So saying, he plucked the strong spear of the brave 
Socus, from his own body, and bossy shield; and the 
blood gushed out as he drew it forth, and racked his 
spirit 2 . And the bold Trojans, when they beheld the 

460 blood of Ulysses, all, exhorting each other along the 
crowd, pressed upon him; and he retreated backwards, 
and shouted for his comrades. Thrice did he then shout 
as loud as he was able 3 ; and thrice the warlike Menelaus 
heard him shouting ; and forthwith addressed Ajax, being 
near : 

465 " Noble Ajax, son of Telamon, prince of the people, 
around me comes the voice of the intrepid Ulysses, like to 
him, as if the Trojans, cutting him off from his comrades in 
the keen battle, were pressing violently upon him, being 
alone. Let us go then into the throng ; for it is better to 

470 assist him. I fear lest, being left alone, brave though he 
be, amidst the Trojans, he suffer aught, and there be great 
want 4 of him among the Danaans." 

7 Who used a car, as well as the rest of the gods. 

8 To him turned. 

9 i. e. has overtaken thee before thou couldst escape. 

1 Flesh-eating. 

2 But the blood of him, drawing it forth, gushed out to him. 

3 As much as the head of man contains. 4 Desire. 



ILIAD XL— V. 473—501. 241 

Thus speaking, he led the way, and the godlike hero 
followed along with him. Then they found Ulysses, be- 
loved by Jove ; and round him Trojans were trooping, 
like blood-thirsty wolves about a wounded horned stag in 475 
the mountains — one which a man has smitten with an 
arrow from a bow-string. Him indeed, flying, it escapes 
by its speed 5 , as long as the blood is warm, and its knees 
bear it up ; but when the swift arrow exhausts it, the 
ravenous wolves devour 6 it in a shady thicket among the 
mountains. Chance 7 however brings thither a destructive 480 
lion ; and the wolves fly in terror, and he devours. So at 
that time followed the Trojans, numerous and brave, round 
the wise and warlike Ulysses ; but the hero, charging with 
his spear, repelled the pitiless day 8 . Then Ajax came 
near, bearing his shield, like a tower, and stood beside 485 
him ; and the Trojans, in different directions, fled in alarm. 
The warlike Menelaus, meanwhile, taking him by the hand, 
led him from the throng, till his attendant drove his horses 
near. And Ajax, springing upon the Trojans, slew Dory- 
clus, the son of Priam, a spurious son ; and next wounded 490 
Pandocus. And Lysander he wounded, and Pyrasus, and 
P} 7 lartes. And as when a full-flowing river comes down, a 
torrent, from the mountains upon the plain, swollen by the 
rain of Jove 9 , and bears along with it many dry oaks and 
many pines, and casts much debris into the sea ; so the 495 
illustrious Ajax, routing them, pursued them along the 
plain, slaughtering both horses and men. 

Nor as yet did Hector learn it; for he was fighting on 
the left ' of all the battle, by the banks of the river Sca- 
mander ; where fell the heads of men in greatest numbers, 500 
and a tremendous shout arose round the mighty Nestor 



5 Its feet. ° Tearing in pieces, devour. 

7 daificov — by which seems to be expressed the ordinary course of events 
— not a special direction. 



>. r. 



his day — his fate — defended himself successfully. 
Accompanied by the shower of Jove. 
With reference to the Trojans. 

R 



242 ILIAD XL— V. 502—531. 

and the warlike Idomeneus. Among these did Hector 
mingle, performing arduous deeds with his spear and car- 
fighting skill, and desolated the phalanxes of youths. Nor 

505 jet would the noble Achaeans have retired from their posi- 
tion 2 , had not Alexander, the husband of the fair-haired 
Helen, disabled 3 Machaon, shepherd of the people, fight- 
ing bravely i — wounding him on the right shoulder with a 
triple-barbed arrow. For him trembled then the valour- 

510 breathing Achaeans, lest perchance, the battle giving way 5 , 
the Trojans should slay him : and immediately Idomeneus 
addressed the noble Nestor : 

(C O Neleian Nestor, great glory of the Achaeans, up, 
mount thy car, and let Machaon get in beside thee, and 
drive thy solid-hoofed horses with all speed to the ships ; 

515 for a medical man is worth many others, to cut out arrows, 
and to apply 6 healing remedies." 

Thus he spake, nor did the Gerenian chief, Nestor, 
refuse ; but forthwith ascended his car, and Machaon 
mounted beside him, the son of ^Esculapius, the excellent 
physician; and he lashed the horses, and they flew not 

520 unwilling towards the hollow ships, for thither it was 
agreeable to their inclination to go. 

But Cebriones, mounted beside Hector, perceived the 
Trojans in confusion, and addressed him in these words : 
u Hector, we two are engaged with the Danaans here in 

525 the outskirt of horrid-sounding battle ; and now the other 
Trojans are in confusion pell-mell, their horses and them- 
selves ; and Telamonian Ajax is routing them ; and I 
know him well, for he bears upon his shoulders his broad 
shield. Let us also then direct our horses and car thither, 
where chiefly horse and foot, dealing forth destructive 

530 combat, slaughter each other, and a tremendous shouting 
arises." 

Thus then having spoken, he lashed the beautiful horses • 

2 KtXsvQog, in a military sense — like yt<pvpa. s Made to cease. 

4 apiGTtvovTa — equal to the bravest. £ That of the Achaeans. 

6 To sprinkle — se. dried herbs rubbed to powder. 



ILIAD XL— V. 532—566. 243 

with his loud scourge. And they, feeling the stroke, 
speedily bore the swift car among the Trojans and 
Achaeans trampling on both corses and shields. And 
with blood was the whole axle-tree beneath splashed, and 535 
the sides of the car 7 , which the drops from the horses' 
hoofs struck, and those from the tires of the wheels. And 
he was eager to enter the crowd of heroes, and to break 
through, springing upon them. And he sent evil tumult 
among the Danaans, and abstained little from combat 8 , 540 
and ranged through the ranks of the rest of men with his 
spear, and his sword, and huge stones, but avoided the bat- 
tle of Telamonian Ajax. 

And Jove, aloft, excited fear within Ajax, and he stood 
paralyzed, and cast behind him his shield of seven bulls' 
hides. And he was alarmed, gazing about upon the throng 545 
like a wild beast, retreating and turning again, and slowly 
moving knee after knee. And as dogs and rustic men 
drive a fierce lion from the stall of oxen — they permit him 
not to cany off the fatness of the cattle, watching all night ; 
but he, eager for food, rushes on, yet does not succeed, for 550 
numerous darts fly against him from bold hands, and blaz- 
ing torches, which he dreads, though dashing on ; and in 
the morning he stalks away with grieving heart : so Ajax, 
afflicted in his heart, then retired, much against his will, 555 
from the Trojans; for he feared for the ships of the 
Achaeans. And as, when a lazy 9 ass, upon whom many 
sticks have already been broken \ going a-field, forces his 
way in spite of the boys, and entering in, crops the high 
grain ; and the boys beat him with sticks, but their strength 560 
is feeble ; and with difficulty they drive him out, when he 
is satiated with food ; so then at length the bold Trojans 
and allies, summoned from afar, pressed constantly upon 
Ajax, the mighty son of Telamon, striking the middle of 
his shield with missile weapons. And Ajax, sometimes 565 

7 The sides round the bottom (Si<ppog) of the car. 

8 From the spear — he lost no time in delay — or fought incessantly. 

Persevering — dogged — obstinate. * Been broken around it. 

R 2 



244 ILIAD XL— V. 566—597. 

wheeling about, exerted 2 his vigorous force, and checked 
the phalanxes of the Trojans, the tamers of horses, and 
sometimes he turned himself to fly. But he prevented all 
from advancing to the swift ships, and stopping, he raged 

570 between the Trojans and Achaeans. And the spears from 
daring hands, rushing forward, stuck, some in his ample 
shield ; and many between, before they reached his white 
body, fell 3 on the ground, though eager to be glutted with 
his flesh. 

575 And as soon as Eurypylus, the noble son of Euaemon, 
perceived him to be hard pressed with many darts, ad- 
vancing, he stood beside him, and hurled his shining 
spear ; and struck Apisaon, the son of Phausias, shepherd 
of the people, in the liver, under the midriff; and at once 
relaxed his limbs. And Eurypylus sprang upon him, and 

580 stript the armour from his shoulders. And then, as soon 
as the godlike Alexander observed him stripping off Api- 
saon's armour, he instantly drew his bow at Eurypylus, 
and struck him with an arrow upon the right thigh ; and 
the reed was broken, and his thigh pained him. And he 
fell back into the column of his comrades, avoiding fate ; 

585 and shouting, cried with a loud voice to the Danaans : 

" O friends, leaders and princes of the Argives, rally, and 
stand *, and ward off the pitiless day from Ajax, who is 
overwhelmed with darts ; nor do I think that he can escape 

590 from dire-sounding war. But by all means stand against 
the foe, round the mighty Ajax, the son of Telamon." 

So spake the wounded Eurypylus, and beside him they 
stood close together 5 resting their shields upon their 
shoulders, and lifting up their spears. And Ajax met 
them, and, wheeling about, stood firm, when he reached 

595 the column of his comrades. Thus they combated like to 
a consuming fire. 

In the mean time the mares of the son of Neleus, 
sweating, bore Nestor from the battle, and carried Ma- 

2 Was mindful of. 3 Stood — i. e. fell, or pitched into the ground. 

4 Rallying, stand. 5 i. e. to shield Eurypylus. 



ILIAD XL— V. 598—623. ^15 

chaon, shepherd of the people. And the noble Achilles, 
swift of foot, looking forth observed him; for he stood 
upon the prow of his large ship, gazing at the dire struggle 600 
and lamentable rout. And immediately he addressed 
Patroclus, his comrade, calling from the ship ; and he, hear- 
ing him within the tent, came forth, like Mars : and it was 
the commencement of misfortune to him 6 . Him first the 
gallant son of Mencetius addressed : 

" Why dost thou call me, Achilles, and what need hast 605 
thou of me 7 ? 5 ' And to him, the swift-footed Achilles, 
answering, said: 

" Noble son of Mencetius, dear to my soul, soon I think 
that the Achaeans will stand supplicating round my knees ; 
for a necessity, no longer bearable, comes upon them. 
But go now, Patroclus, beloved of Jove, ask Nestor what 610 
man is this whom he brings wounded from the battle. 
Behind, indeed, he w r holly resembles Machaon, the son of 
^Esculapius, but I have not seen the man's face 8 for the 
horses passed me, hastening forward." 

Thus he spake, and Patroclus obeyed his beloved com- 615 
rade, and set out to run along the tents and ships of the 
Achaeans. 

And when they 9 (Nestor and Machaon) came to the 
tent of the son of Neleus, they themselves alighted on the 
fertile soil, and Eurymedon, the attendant of the old man, 
took the horses from the car ; and they dried off the sweat 620 
from their tunics *, standing towards the breeze beside the 
shore of the sea, and then, entering the tent, sat down 
upon couches. And for them did fair-haired 2 Hecamede 



6 As is seen in the sequel. Patroclus, assuming the arms of Achilles, 
goes out to repel the assailing Trojans. He at first carries death and de- 
struction with him, his appearance, as Achilles, creating the utmost con- 
fusion ; but he is afterwards attacked and killed by Hector. 

7 In what respect does need of me come to thee. 

8 Eyes. 9 Nestor and Machaon. 

1 L e. they cooled themselves — let their tunics dry on their bodies in the 
cool aii-. 

2 Or well-curled. 



246 ILIAD XL— V. 624—653. 

prepare a mixture 3 — she whom the old man brought from 

625 Tenedos, when Achilles laid it waste, the daughter of the 
brave Arsinoiis, — whom the Achaeans selected for him, 
because he excelled all in counsel. First she brought out 
for them a handsome, black-footed polished table; and 
upon it a brazen tray, and on it an onion, a relish with the 

630 beverage, and new honey, and the fruit of the sacred corn 4 
beside it. Likewise a splendid cup near them, which the 
old man brought from home, stuck full of golden studs. 
And its handles were four, and round each two golden 

635 pigeons were feeding, and it had two bottoms 5 . Another 
indeed with difficulty would have lifted it, when full, from 
the table ; but the aged Nestor raised it with ease. In it 
the dame, like to the goddesses, had made a mixture for 
them of Pramneian wine, and grated over it goat-milk 

640 cheese with a brazen rasp, and sprinkled white flour upon 
it ; and bade them drink, as soon as she had prepared the 
beverage. And after by drinking they quenched the 
parching thirst, they amused themselves with conversa- 
tion, talking to each other. And Patroclus stood at the 
doors, a godlike man. 

And the old man, perceiving him, rose from his splendid 

645 seat, and, taking him by the hand, led him in, and bade 
him be seated. But Patroclus, on the other side, declined, 
and uttered this speeeh : 

6i No sitting for me, O Jove-supported sage ; nor wilt 
thou persuade me. To be revered and respected is he, 
who sent me forth to inquire who was this, whom thou 

650 wast bringing in wounded ; but I myself also know, for I 
see it is Machaon, shepherd of people. And now, to make 
my report, I, with the news 6 , will go back to Achilles ; for 
well dost thou know, O Jove-supported sage, what an 
irascible man he is — he would soon find fault even with 
the faultless." 

3 See the ingredients, 638 — 640. * i. e. bread or cakes. 

5 i. e. it was an ajxtyiKVirtWov — -a double cup. It would stand on either 
endj and each had two handles. 6 A messenger. 



ILIAD XI.— V. 65-k— 687. 2 47 

And him answered then the Gerenian chiefs Nestor : 
a Why then does Achilles thus compassionate the sons of 
the Achaeans, as many as have been now wounded with 655 
weapons ? Nor knows he at all how much of sorrow has 
arisen throughout the army ; for the bravest lie in the 
ships, wounded with spears or arrows. The brave Dio- 
medes, son of Tydeus, has been struck with an arrow, and 
famed Ulysses wounded with a spear, and Agamemnon. 660 
Eurypylus also has been shot in the thigh with an arrow ; 
and this other I have just brought from battle, struck with 
an arrow from a bow-string : yet Achilles, brave as he is, 
cares not for the Danaans, nor pities them. Or waits he 665 
until at last the swift ships by the sea, in spite of the 
Argives, be consumed with hostile fire, and ourselves be 
slain one after another ? For my strength is not as it for- 
merly was, in my flexile limbs. Would that I were as 
young, and my might as firm, as when a contest took place 
between the Eleians and us, about the driving away of 670 
some oxen, when, making 7 reprisals, I slew Itymoneus, 
the brave son of Hypeirochus, who dwelt in Elis : for he, 
defending his cattle, was smitten among the first by a 
javelin from my hand, and there fell, and his rustics fled 
in confusion. And we drove from the plain very great 675 
booty, fifty droves of cattle, as many flocks of sheep, as 
many herds of swine, as many large flocks of goats, one 
hundred and fifty yellow 8 steeds, all mares, and with 680 
many there were colts. And these we drove within 
Neleian Pylus, marching in the night towards the city; 
and Neleus was delighted in his mind, because much 
booty had fallen to me, going a youth to war. x\nd with 
the appearing morn heralds cried aloud for those to come, gg- 
to whom debts in rich Elis were due 9 ; and the leading 
men of the Pylians, assembling, divided the spoil -for the 



7 Driving. 

8 Chesnuts — or bright bays. 

tho<e whose property had been plundered, and for whose sake tJie 
reprisals bad been made. 



248 ILIAD XI.— V. 688— 7 J 4. 

Epeians l owed debts to many 2 — to such a degree had we 
in Pylus, being few, been impoverished 3 . For the mighty 

690 Hercules 4 , coming in former years, had done us mischief 
and as many as were the bravest were slain. For we were 
twelve sons of illustrious Neleus, of whom I alone was 
left, and all the rest perished. Emboldened by these 
things, the brazen-tunicked Epeians, insulting us, had 
planned their iniquities. 

695 And the old man (Neleus) selected for himself a drove 
of cattle and a large flock of sheep, picking out three hun- 
dred and the shepherds — for to him also was a great debt 
due in rich Elis, namely, four horses, victorious in the 
race 5 , with their chariots, going to the games 6 ; for they 

700 were to run for a tripod ; and Augeas, king of men, seized 
them there ; and dismissed the driver, grieved for his 
horses. On account of these words and deeds the old 
man, indignant, selected for himself immense numbers ; 
and gave the rest to the people to divide, that no one 

705 might go defrauded of his just share. We indeed were 
busied in all these matters 7 , and were performing sacrifices 
to the gods throughout the city; and on the third day 
came together all the townsmen themselves, and their 
solid-hoofed horses, in full force, and with them were 
armed the two Molions, being still youths, and not yet 
knowing how to make the best use of their vigorous force 8 . 

710 For there is a town, a lofty hill, Thryoessa, far off, on the 
banks of Alpheus, the last town of sandy Pylus — and this 
they invested, eager to overthrow it. And when they had 
crossed the whole plain, Minerva, flying 9 from Olympus, 

1 Who occupied a portion of Elis. 

2 i. e. the Epeians had plundered many of the Pylians. 

3 i. e. to such a degree had our numbers been reduced, that we were then 
unable to prevent their devastations — for a few years before, Hercules had 
killed, &c. 

4 The Herculean might. 5 Bearers off of prizes. 

6 Going to the prizes. 

7 i. e. in distributing the booty. 

8 Not yet well knowing their vigorous force. 9 Running. 



ILIAD XL— V. 715— 74G. 2 49 

came to us in the night as a messenger, to arm us ; nor 
did she assemble at Pylos people unwilling, but very 715 
desirous of righting. And Neleus would not allow me to 
arm, and concealed my horses, for he said that I. did not 
yet understand warlike matters. But even thus I was 
conspicuous among our horsemen, although on foot, for so 
did Minerva lead the battle l . Now there is a certain 72O 
river, the Minyeius, emptying itself into the sea near 
Arene, where we horsemen of the Pylians awaited the 
lovely morning, and bodies of men on foot poured in. 
Thence in full force, with our weapons, armed, we reached 
at mid-day the sacred stream of Alpheus. There having 725 
offered fine victims to almighty Jove, a bull to the Alpheus, 
and a bull to Neptune, and an unbroken heifer to the blue- 
eyed Minerva, we then took our meal through the army in 
divisions ; and each slept in his armour by the streams of 730 
the river. The bold Epeians had already invested the 
town, eager to lay it waste ; but first there was a mighty 
work of Mars for them 2 ; for as soon as the bright sun 
arose above the earth, we engaged them in battle, praying 
first to Jove and to Minerva. And when now the strife of 735 
the Pylians and Eleians was begun 3 , I was the first who 
slew a man, the warrior Mulius, and carried off his solid- 
hoofed steeds ; and he was the son-in-law of Augeas, and 
possessed his eldest daughter, the yellow-haired Agamede, 740 
who was acquainted with all medicinal plants, which the 
wide earth produces 4 . Him, as he came against me, 
I smote with my brazen spear. And he fell in the dust ; 
and, springing into his car, I stood then among the fore- 
most combatants : and the bold Epeians fled in all direc- 
tions in terror, when they beheld the man fallen, the leader 
of their horse, who was their bravest in battle 5 . And I 745 
rushed upon them like to a black storm ; and I took fifty 



1 So administer or direct the conflict — that, though I set out on foot, I 
was soon among the equestrians. 

2 Appeared— or presented itself. 3 Was. 

4 As many as. 5 Was the best to fight. 

12 



250 ILIAD IX.— V. 7±7—776. 

chariots, and in each two men bit the ground with their 
teeth, subdued by my spear. And now indeed I should 
have slain the young Molions, the sons of Actor e , had not 

750 their father, wide-ruling Neptune, preserved them from 
the war, covering them with thick cloud. Then Jupiter 
bestowed great glory upon the Pylians ; for so far we fol- 
lowed over the shield-covered plain, both slaying them, 
and gathering up rich armour, until we had driven our 

755 horses to Buprasium, very fertile in corn, and to rocky 
Olenia and Aleisium, where is the famous 7 Hill — from 
thence Minerva turned again the army. There having 
killed the last man, I left him ; and the Achseans drove 
back 8 their horses from Buprasium to Pylus ; and all gave 

760 glory to Jove, of the gods, and to Nestor, of men. Such 
was I — if ever indeed I was 9 — along with men. But 
Achilles will enjoy alone his valour: truly I think that he 
will hereafter greatly lament, when the people have pe- 
rished. O, my friend, thee Mencetius surely thus com- 

765 manded on that day, when he sent thee from Phthia to 
Agamemnon. For, being both of us within, I and noble 
Ulysses, we well heard every thing in the halls, how he 
charged thee ; for we had come to the well-built * mansions 
of Peleus, collecting an army in fertile Achaeis. There 

770 then we found the hero Mencetius within, as well as thee, 
and Achilles beside thee ; and the aged chief, Peleus, was 
burning the fat legs of an ox to Jove, who delights in thun- 
der, within the court-yard of his palace 2 , and held a golden 
cup, pouring the dark wine over the blazing sacrifice. You 

775 were both then busied about the flesh of the ox, and we at 
the time stood in the vestibule ; and Achilles, astonished, 
leapt up, and, catching us by the hand, led us in, and bade 



6 i. e. their reputed father. 

7 Is called — i. e. has the name of KoXwvrj, or Hill — appellatively, from 
some special occasion not assigned. 

8 Held back. 9 See I\ 180, and Od. Q. 288. 

1 " To the conveniently habitable." 

2 Literally " the grass" — that plot of grass within the court. 



ILIAD XL— V. 777—809. 251 

us be seated ; and put before us the feasts of hospitality, 
which are proper for guests. And when we had satisfied 
ourselves with eating and drinking, I began the discourse, 780 
exhorting you to accompany us. Ye were both very wil- 
ling, and they both gave you many injunctions 3 . The 
aged Peleus indeed bade his son Achilles always to be 
bravest, and be conspicuous above others : and to thee, 
again, Mencetius, the son of Actor, thus gave charge : 
( My son, by birth indeed Achilles is thy superior ; but 785 
thou art the elder. He is much better in strength ; but 
do thou give him good advice, and suggest to him, and 
direct him, and he will surely be advised for his good/ 
Thus did the old man command thee, and thou art forget- 
ful : but even now mention these things to the warlike 790 
Achilles — perchance he may be persuaded. For who 
knows but, advising him, thou mayst, with the gods 5 assist- 
ance 4 , move his mind ? For the persuasion of a friend is 
good. But if within his heart he avoid some oracle 5 , and 
his divine mother have stated any thing to him from Jove, 
let him at least send thee forth ; and with thee let the 795 
rest of the army of the Myrmidons follow, that thou mayst 
be some aid to the Danaans. Let him likewise give thee 
his beautful armour to wear in battle, that the Trojans, 
taking thee for him, may abstain from battle, and the 
brave sons of the Achaeans, now exhausted, may breathe 800 
again, and there be a little rest for them from war. And 
easily will you, ivho are fresh in battle, drive back wearied 
men towards the city, from the ships and tents." 

Thus he spake, and he roused the spirit within his 
breast ; and he set out to run along the ships to Achilles, 
the descendant of ^Eacus. And when now Patroclus, 805 
running, arrived at the ships of the godlike Ulysses, where 
were the forum and seat of justice, where also were the 
altars of the gods erected ; there Eurypylus 6 , the noble 

3 Charged you much. 4 With a god. 

5 i. e. on account of oracle — or especial intimation from his mother. 

6 Resumed from line 595. 



252 ILIAD XL— V. 810—840. 

son of Euaemon, wounded with an arrow in the thigh, 

810 limping from the battle, met him. Down ran the sweat 
profuse from his shoulders and head, and from his severe 
wound the black blood gushed ; nevertheless his spirit was 
firm. And beholding, the gallant son of Menoetius pitied 
him, and, grieving, uttered these winged words : 

815 " Alas ! wretched men, leaders and chiefs of the Da- 
naans ; so then were ye, far from your friends and native 
land, to glut the swift dogs at Troy with your white fat ? 
Come, then, tell me this, O Jove-supported hero, Eury- 
pylus, will the Achaeans still at all sustain the mighty 

820 Hector, or will they now be destroyed, subdued by his 
spear ?" 

And him, in return, the prudent Eurypylus addressed : 
" No longer, noble Patroclus, will there be defence 7 for 
the Achaeans, but they will fall back upon 8 the black ships. 
For already all, as many as were once the bravest, He at the 

825 ships, struck from a distance, or wounded in close combat, 
by the hands of the Trojans — whose strength ever increases. 
But do thou now save me, leading me to my black ship ; 
and cut the arrow from my thigh, and wash the black 
blood from it with warm water ; and spread upon it sooth- 

830 ing herbs, salubrious, which they say thou wert taught by 
Achilles, whom Chiron instructed, the most just of the 
Centaurs. For as to the surgeons, Podaleirius and Ma- 
chaon, the one, I think, lies wounded 9 at the tents, and 

835 himself in want of a skilful surgeon ; and the other stilt 
abides the sharp battle of the Trojans upon the plain/ 5 

And him again the brave son of Menoetius addressed : 
" How then will these things turn out ? What shall 
we do, O hero Eurypylus ? I am going that I may de- 
liver a message to the warlike Achilles, with which 
the venerable Nestor, the bulwark of the Achaeans, en- 

840 trusted me : but not even thus will I neglect thee in 
affliction \" 

7 Strength. 8 Rush into — take refuge in them, as in M. 107- 

9 Having a wound. 1 Afflicted. 



ILIAD XL— V. S41— S48. 253 

He said, and taking the shepherd of people in his arms 2 , 
bore him to the tent ; and his attendant, seeing him, 
spread under him bulls' hides. There, laying him at his 
length, Patroclus cut with a knife the sharp bitter arrow 
from his thigh, and washed the black blood from it with 845 
warm water. Then he put upon it a bitter root 3 , an 
anodyne, rubbing it in his hands, which removed all his 
agony : and the wound was dried up, and the blood ceased 
to flow. 



2 Under his breast. 

3 i. e. dried, which lie broke into powder, and sprinkled on the wound, to 
stop the bleeding — operating as a styptic. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER 



BOOK XTI. 



ARGUMENT. 

The Trojans assail the ramparts, and Hector forces the gates. 

Thus then was the gallant son of Mencetius dressing the 
wounded Eurypylus at the tents ; and the Argives and 
Trojans still fought in masses ; nor was the ditch of the 
Danaans likely to keep them off any longer, nor the broad 
5 rampart above \ which they had erected for the defence of 
the ships ; and had drawn a fosse around — but had not 
given sacred hecatombs to the gods — in order that it, con- 
taining them within, might protect their swift ships, and 
their great booty. And it was built against the will of the 
immortal gods, and on that account it was not long des- 

10 tined to stand 2 . As long as Hector was alive, and Achilles 
indignant, and the city of king Priam undestroyed ; so long 
was the mighty wall of the Achaeans firm. But when all 3 
the bravest of the Trojans were dead, and many of the 
Argives were, some subdued, and some left, and in the 

15 tenth year the city of Priam was laid waste, and the Ar- 
gives had departed in ships to their dear native land ; 
then at length Neptune and Apollo took counsel to demo- 

1 That is, above the fosse. 

2 On that account it was not long time firm. 3 As many as were. 



ILIAD XII.— V. is— 48. 255 

lish the wall, bringing in the might of rivers, as many as 
flow into the sea from the Idoean mountains, both the 
Rhesus and the Heptaporus, and the Caresus, and the 20 
Rhodius, and the Granlcus, and the zEsepus, and the 
divine Scamander, and the Simo'is, where many shields 
and helmets * had fallen in the dust, and a race of heroes \ 
The mouths of all these to the same spot Phoebus Apollo 
turned, and for nine days directed the flood against the 25 
wall ; and Jove in the mean time rained incessantly, that 
he might the sooner render the walls overwhelmed by the 
sea. And the shaker of the earth, himself, with the trident 
in his hands, led them on ; and then sent among the waves 
all the foundations of beams and stones, which the labour- 
ing Achagans had laid. And he made all level along the 30 
rapid Hellespont, and again covered the vast shore with 
sand, demolishing the wall; and turned the rivers to go 
again to the channels, where they had before poured their 
sweet-flowing water. 

Thus were Neptune and Apollo to act thereafter ; but 
now the battle and the shout raged around the well-built 35 
wall, and the stricken beams 6 of the towers resounded: 
and the Argives, subdued by the scourge of Jove, were 
kept huddled together at the hollow ships, dreading Hec- 
tor, the furious causer of flight ; for he fought, as before, 
like a whirlwind. And as, when a boar or lion, raging in 40 
his might, turns upon dogs and huntsmen, and they, draw- 
ing themselves up close like a wall, stand against him, and 
hurl numerous javelins from their hands ; but never is his 
bold heart alarmed, nor is he put to flight, for his bravery 
kills him, and he frequently turns around attacking the 45 
lines of men ; and wherever he directs his attack, there 
give way the lines of men : so Hector, going along the 
crowd, rolled along, exhorting his companions to cross the 



4 Shields covered with the hides of oxen, and helmets with three cones. 
s Demi-god men. 

Sovpara mean not the spears of the enemy, but the timbers of the 
towers. 



256 ILIAD XII.— V. 50—81. 

50 fosse. Nor did his swift-footed horses dare it ; but neighed 
much j standing near the extreme brink ; for the wide ditch 
affrighted them, nor indeed was it easy to come close and 
leap across 7 , or to pass it 8 , for the edges of it, on both 

55 sides, were elevated 9 ; and above, it was fortified with sharp 
palisades, which the sons of the Achaeans had fixed, nu- 
merous and large, as a defence against hostile men. There 
a horse dragging a swift-gliding car, might not easily 

60 enter, but the foot eagerly sought if they could accomplish 
it. Then indeed Polydamas, standing near, addressed the 
brave Hector : 

" Hector, and ye other leaders of the Trojans and allies, 
unwisely x do we drive the fleet horses over the ditch, for 
it is very difficult to pass ; since sharp palisades stand in 

65 it, and near them is the wall of the Achaeans. There it is 
impossible for the car-men to descend, or to fight on the 
other side ; for the place is narrow, where I think they will 
get wounded. For if indeed high-thundering Jove, design- 
ing evil against them, dooms them wholly to destruction, 
and wishes to assist the Trojans, then should I be willing 

70 that this be done at once, that the Achaeans perish here 
inglorious, far from Argos. If however they turn again, 
and there be a repulse from the ships, and we get ham- 
pered in the deep 2 ditch, I do not suppose that then even 
a messenger will return back to the city, through the 

75 Achaeans rallying again. Come then, let us all be per- 
suaded to do as I shall advise. Let our drivers keep the 
horses at the ditch, and let ourselves on foot, with our 
weapons, armed, all follow Hector in a body; and the 

80 Achaeans will not await us, if indeed the ends of destruc- 
tion hang over them s " 

Thus spake Polydamas ; and the safe counsel pleased 



7 i. e. they could not get close to the edge — to spring from it. The soil 
was thrown up at the edge of the ditch. 

8 i. e. by going into the ditch, and climbing up on the other side. 

9 Stood covered — or surmounted. 1 i. e. to attempt to do so. 
2 Dug. 3 i. e. if final destruction — if they were destined to perish. 



ILIAD XII.— V. 81—111. 257 

Hector : and immediately he leaped with his armour from 
his car to the ground. Nor did the other Trojans remain 
assembled in the cars, but sprang from them, as soon as 
they beheld the noble Hector alight. Then each com- 
manded his own driver to hold the horses in good order 85 
there at the ditch ; and they, separating, arranging them- 
selves, drawn up in five divisions, followed along with their 
leaders. Some then went with Hector and noble Poly- 
dam as, who were most numerous and brave, and most 
resolute to break 4 down the wall, and fight at the hollow 90 
ships. And Cebriones followed, a third; for Hector left 
another, of less note than Cebriones, with his car. And 
the second division 5 Paris commanded, and Alcathous, 
and Agenor. And the third Helenus and the godlike De'i- 
phobus, two sons of Priam, and their third was the hero 95 
Asius — ilsius Hyrtacides, whom fiery, large horses brought 
from Arisba, from the river Sellee'is. And ^Eneas, the 
brave son of Anchises, led the fourth ; along with him were 
the two sons of Antenor, Archilochus, and Acamas, well 
skilled in every kind of fight. And Sarpedon commanded 100 
the noble allies, and took, as his lieutenants, Glaucus and 
the warlike Asteropaeus ; for they appeared to him, next 
to himself, to be decidedly the bravest of the rest ; but he 
himself surpassed all. And when then they had formed a 
close phalanx 6 with shields 7 , they advanced, full of courage, 105 
straightway against the Danaans ; nor did they think the 
Danaans would sustain them, but would rather fall back 
on the black ships. 

There the rest of the Trojans, and allies, summoned from 
afar, obeyed the counsel of good Polydamas ; but Asius, 
son of Hyrtacus, prince of heroes, would not leave his 110 
horses and attendant driver, but with them advanced to- 



4 Having broken to fight. 

5 Others — the next. 

6 Fitted each other — joined together with shields — forming a line or 
rampart of shields. 

7 Made or worked bulls — i. e. shields covered with bulls' hides. 

S 



258 ILIAD XII.— V. 112—143. 

wards the swift ships — foolish man i — never was he, 
escaping his evil destiny, to return again, exulting, with 

115 his steeds and car from the ships to lofty Ilium. For 
his unlucky fate first overwhelmed him, by the spear of 
Idomeneus, the illustrious son of Deucalion. For he 
rushed towards the left of the ships 2 , where the Achaeans 
returned 3 from the plain with their horses and cars. 

1 20 Thither he drove his coursers and his car, nor at the gates 
found he the portals shut, or the long bar up 4 , but the 
men kept them wide open, that they might receive safe 5 
any of their comrades, flying from battle towards the ships. 
Thither in high spirits 6 he his steeds drove straight, and 

125 his men, shouting aloud, followed along with him ; for 
they supposed that the Achaeans would no longer sustain 
them, but fall back upon the black ships 7 — fools, for at 
the gates they found two of the bravest men, the bold 
sons of the warlike Lapithae, one, a son of Pirithous, the 

] 30 gallant Polypoetes, the other, Leonteus, equal to man- 
slaying Mars. These indeed stood in front of the lofty 
gates, as on the mountains stand high-topped oaks, which 
abide the wind and rain at all seasons 8 , fixed firm by their 

135 large and wide-spreading roots ; so they, trusting to their 
prowess 9 and strength, awaited the mighty Asius coming 
on, and fled not. And direct towards the well-built wall — 
lifting high their shields 10 , advanced, with loud shouting, 

140 king Asius n , and Jamenas, and Orestes, and Acamas, son 
of Asius, and CEnomaus. But they l2 meanwhile, remaining 
within, exhorted the well-armed Achaeans to fight in de- 



1 vrjiriog — like a fool — or foolishly. 

2 Not the left of Asius — but of the ships. The odog i7nrT)\ama of H. 
340 — near the station of Ajax and Idomeneus. 

3 i. e. where they usually did — the one common entrance. 

4 The leaves of the gate opened inwards and were secured by a bar. 

5 If they might save. 6 Thinking higMy. 

7 i. e. take refuge in them, and attempt to escape. 8 All days. 

9 Hands. 10 Dry bulls — /'. e. hides — shields. 

11 o\ an<j)i Acriov, &c. i. e. Asius and his troops. 
13 Polypoetes and Leonteus. 



ILIAD XII.— V. 144—171. 259 

fence of the ships ; and when they perceived the Trojans 
rushing to the wall, — and there was a cry and a rout of the 
Danaans, — both darting out, fought before the gates, like 145 
two wild boars, which catch the coming tumult of men and 
dogs in the mountains, and, advancing obliquely to the 
attack, break down the wood about them, cutting it off 
at the roots; and in their jaws is a grinding of teeth, till 
some one, having hurled a spear, deprive them of life. So 150 
rang the shining brass upon the breasts of these men, 
struck in front, for they fought very bravely, trusting 
to the troops above 1 , and to their own valour. And 
others 2 hurled stones 3 from the well-constructed towers, 155 
in defence 4 of themselves, the tents, and the rapid- 
moving ships. And as snow-flakes fall to the ground, 
which a high wind, whirling along the shady clouds, 
pours down thick upon the fertile earth; so poured the 
weapons from the hands both of Achaeans and of Trojans ; 160 
and helmets and bossed shields, struck with large stones, 
rattling rang 5 . Then indeed Asius, son of Hyrtacus, 
groaned, and struck both his thighs, and bitterly uttered 
this speech : 

" Father Jove, and thou too art now become plainly a 
liar; for I never thought 6 the Achaean heroes would abide 165 
our might and invincible hands. And they, as wasps 
streaked in the middle 7 , or bees, which make their nests 
by some mountain path> nor quit their hollow mansion, 
but, awaiting their pursuers 8 , fight for their young; so 170 
these, though being only two, will not retire from the gates 
until they be either slain or taken." 

1 i. e. on the wall. 

* i. e. the men on the wall on each side of the gate. 

3 Stones such as fill the hand. 4 Defending. 

5 Sounded a dry sound around. 

6 i. e. relying upon some supposed assurances from Jove of the contrary. 

7 [itaov aioXoi — aioXog will express a quick, glancing motion, and may 
apply to the rapid movement of the wings, which seem as if they were in 
the middle of the insect. But more probably the phrase refers to the shape 
of it, and difference of colour. 

8 Hunters — i. e. those who are in pursuit of their honey. 

s 2 



260 ILIAD XII.— V. 172—202. 

Thus he spake ; nor did he, in saying these things, bend 
the mind of Jove, for his heart willed to bestow glory l 

175 upon Hector. Meanwhile the rest maintained the combat 
at the other gates 2 ; but it would be difficult for me, like a 
god, to relate all these things ; for round the wall in every 
part arose a raging fire of stones ; and the Argives, although 
hard pressed, perforce defended their ships ; and all the 

180 gods were grieved in their minds, as many as were well- 
wishers of the Danaans in battle. 

But the Lapithae 3 began the battle and destruction. 
There, then, the son of Peirithous, the brave Polypcetes, 
with his spear smote Damasus, through the brazen-cheeked 
helmet ; nor did the brazen casque resist, but the brazen 

185 point broke quite through the bone, and all the brain within 
was scattered. And him, rushing on, he subdued; and 
afterwards he slew Pylon and Ormenus. And Leonteus, a 
branch of Mars, wounded Hippomachus, the son of Anti- 
machus, with his spear, striking him at the belt. And again, 

190 drawing his sharp sword from the scabbard, he, springing 
through the crowd, smote Antiphates first, hand to hand ; 
and he was stretched prone upon the earth ; and then 
Menon, and Iamenus, and Orestes, all, one upon another, 
he brought to the fertile earth. 

195 Whilst these were stripping them of their glittering 
armour, the youths, who were the most numerous and 
the bravest, followed Polydamas and Hector, and were very 
eager to break down the wall, and burn the ships with 
fire. They, however, still hesitated, standing by the 

200 ditch : for a bird flew over them while thus eager to cross 
it — a high-flying eagle, towards the left 4 , dividing the 
army, bearing in his talons a huge bloody serpent, alive, 



1 i. e. that of first breaking in upon the ships. 

2 a\Xo aWoig— some at one, some at another. There was but one gate 
accessible for cars by the road across the ditch — and that Asius attempted. 

3 Polypoetes and Leonteus. 128. 

4 That is, he flew between the Grecian and Trojan armies, having the 
latter upon his left. 



ILIAD XII.— V. 203 — 233. 261 

and still writhing ; and not yet was it forgetful of fighting : 
for, twisting backwards, it wounded him, who grasped it, 205 
upon the breast, near the neck ; and he cast it from him 
to the ground, afflicted with pain, and dropt it into the 
midst of the crowd, and, screaming, flew away on the blasts 
of the wind. And the Trojans shuddered when they beheld 
the twisting serpent lying in the midst, a prodigy of aegis- 
bearing Jove. Then Polydamas thus addressed the gallant 210 
Hector, standing beside : 

" Hector, thou almost always chidest me in the assem- 
blies, when I give my advice 5 , for neither seems it to thee 
right that a private man should ever speak independently 6 , 
either in council or in war ; but he must ever enforce thy 
authority 7 . Yet I w T ill again speak as appears to me to 215 
be best. Let us not then go to fight with the Danaans 
for their ships ; for so do I conceive that it will end, if in 
reality this bird came upon the Trojans w hile eager to cross 
the ditch — as the highflying eagle came, towards the left, 
dividing the army, and bearing in its talons a huge bloody 
living serpent, but presently dropped it, before it reached 220 
its loved nest, nor succeeded in carrying it to give to its 
young — so we, if even we shall with great force break 
through the gates and w*all of the Achaeans, and the 
Achaeans give way, — not in good order 8 shall we return 225 
by the same ways from the ships ; for we shall leave behind 
us many of the Trojans, whom the Achaeans, contending for 
the ships, will subdue in arms. Thus indeed would the 
soothsayer, who is well skilled in auguries, interpret, and 
the people be convinced by him/' 

And, looking sternly, the plumed Hector thus ad- 230 
dressed him : " O Polydamas, thou no longer speakest 
what is agreeable to me. Thou mightest have known how 
to devise another counsel better than this. If however 



5 Speaking good things — i. e. what appear to the speaker to be so — a 
periphrasis for advising, or delivering an opinion. 

" 7rape%. f But always to increase thy power. 

8 i. e. but with shameful rout. 



262 ILIAD XII.— V. 234—265/ 

thou sayest this seriously, then indeed have the gods 
235 themselves taken thy senses from thee 9 , who bids me be 
forgetful of the counsels of high-thundering Jove, which 
he himself undertook for me, and confirmed. And thou 
exhortest me to pay obedience to winged 1 birds — to them 
I turn not, nor regard at all, whether they fly to the 
240 right towards the morning and the sun, or to the left 
towards the darkening west. We will be obedient to the 
counsel of mighty Jove, who rules over all mortals and 
immortals. The one best augury is — to fight for our 
245 country. Why fearest thou war and battle ? For if even 
all the rest of us should perish at the ships of the Argives, 
thou needst not be afraid of perishing, for thy heart is nei- 
ther staunch nor warlike. And if thou shalt skulk from the 
combat, or turn another from battle, dissuading him from 
250 it with thy words, forthwith, struck with my spear, shalt 
thou lose thy life." 

Thus then having spoken, he led on ; and they followed 
him with a mighty shout. And Jove, delighting in thun- 
der, sent a storm of wind from the Idaean heights, which 
255 bore the dust right towards the ships ; and he damped the 
spirit of the Achaeans, and bestowed glory upon the Trojans 
and Hector. Trusting then to his prodigies, and their own 
valour, they endeavoured to break down the vast wall of 
the Achasans. And they tore down the embrazures of the 
towers, and demolished the battlements, and wrenched 
away the projecting piles, which the Achaeans had placed 
260 first in the earth, to serve as supports of the towers. 
These then they tore down, and hoped to break through 
the wall of the Achaeans. 

The Danaans however did not yet retire from their posi- 
tion ; but covering the breastworks with their shields 2 , 
they shot, from behind them, the enemies, as they came 
265 up to the wall. And both the Ajaxes ranged in every 

9 The speech so far is the same as that of Paris to Alexander, H. 357 — 
360. 

1 Which expand their wings. 2 Ox-hides. 



ILIAD XII.— V. 266—297. 

direction upon the towers, exhorting the troops, and 
rousing the valour of the Achaeans. One they encouraged 
with kind, another they railed at with severe words, whom- 
soever they beheld at all relaxing in the battle : 

" O my friends, the best, the middling, and the worst of 
the Argives — for all men are not alike in war — now is there 270 
work for all ; and ye yourselves perhaps know that. Let 
no one turn back towards the ships, listening to the threat- 
ener (Hector) ; but go forward 3 and exhort each other, 
that Olympian Jove, the darter of lightning, may grant 275 
us repulsing the battle, to pursue the enemy to the 
city." 

Thus they, shouting in front, excited the Achaeans to 
combat 4 . And as flakes of snow fall thick upon a 
wintry day, when provident Jove has begun to snow upon 280 
mankind, producing his arrows, and, having lulled the 
winds, he pours them 5 down without ceasing, till he covers 
the tops and highest peaks of the lofty mountains, and 
the lotus-plains and rich works of men, and likewise they 
are poured upon the bays and promontories of the hoary 
sea, and the approaching wave melts 6 them ; but all other 285 
things are covered beneath, when the shower of Jove comes 
down heavily ; so flew the stones of these hurling thick on 
both sides, some against the Trojans, and others from the 
Trojans against the Achaeans ; and along the whole wall 
rose the tumult. 

Nor even then would the Trojans and illustrious 290 
Hector have burst open the gates of the wall, and the 
long bar, had not the provident Jupiter urged on his own 
son, Sarpedon, against the Argives, like a lion against 
curly-horned oxen. For he immediately held before him 
his shield on all sides equal, beautiful, brazen, plated ; 295 
which the smith had plated over, and underneath fastened 
together numerous bulPs hides, with closely connected 

:; I. e. rather keep your face to the enemy. 

* Stirred up the battle of the Greeks. 

* His KriXa — snows, &c. 6 Checks. 



264 ILIAD XII.— V. 298—332. 

golden wires round its orb. This then holding before 
him, he advanced on, brandishing two spears, like a 

300 mountain-bred lion, which has been long in want of 
food, and his bold spirit prompts him, in order to get at 
the sheep, to go in even to the close fold. For even if he 
find there the shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks 
with dogs and spears, he cannot bear to fly without at- 

305 tempting the fold ; but, springing in, either snatches up 
one, or is himself wounded among the first by a javelin 
from a swift hand. So then did his spirit impel the god- 
like Sarpedon to attack the wall, and to burst through the 
bulwarks; and instantly he addressed Glaucus, son of 
Hippolochus : 

310 (i Glaucus, why are we most honoured in Lycia, in seat 7 , 
in meats, and in full cups, and why do all look to us, as to 
gods ? Why possess we also a large and beautiful tract of 
vine-bearing and corn-bearing land by the banks of Xan- 

315 thus? For this — it now behoves us, advancing among the 
foremost Lycians, to stand firm, and to encounter burning 
battle ; in order that some of the closely-armed Lycians 
may say, f not ingloriously 8 do our kings govern Lycia, 

320 and eat the fat sheep, and the choice sweet wine ; but their 
valour likewise is excelling, for they fight among the fore- 
most Lycians/ O my friend, if by avoiding this war, we 
could be for ever exempt from old age and death 9 , neither 

325 would I myself combat in the van, nor urge thee into glo- 
rious battle. But now, notwithstanding ten thousand fates 
of death press upon us, which it is not possible for a mortal 
to escape or shun, let us go on — either we shall give glory 
to some one, or some one to us/' 

Thus he spake, nor did Glaucus shrink, or refuse, but 

330 both went on, leading a vast body of Lycians. And seeing 
them, Menestheus, son of Peteeus, shuddered, for they 
advanced towards his tower 1 3 bringing destruction. And he 



7 Perhaps in council — or, more likely, at the head of the table. 

8 Or, unworthily. 9 Without old age, and immortal. 
1 top 7rvpyov — i. e. the portion of the wall, where he was stationed. 



ILIAD XII.— V. 333—364. 265 

looked round along the rampart 2 of the Achaeans, if he 
might see any of the leaders, who could repel the battle 
from his comrades ; and observed the two Ajaxes, insa- 335 
tiable of war, standing, and Teucer, just come from his 
tent, near at hand. Yet it was not at all in his power, 
shouting, to be heard; for so great was the din; and the 
clash reached to heaven of stricken shields, and of horse- 
haired helmets, and of the gates. For all were closed ; and 340 
they standing beside them, endeavoured to burst 3 them 
open by force, and enter. And he hastily dispatched the 
herald Thootes to Ajax : 

" Go, noble Thootes, run and call 4 the Ajaxes — both in 
preference, for that would be best of all — since fatal ruin 345 
will soon reach us here. For so much upon us press the 
leaders of the Lycians, who, before, have ever been im- 
petuous in hard conflicts. And if to them also, there, labour 
and contest arise, let the brave Telamonian Ajax alone 
come, and with him let Teucer follow, well skilled in the 350 
bow." 

Thus he spake, nor did the herald, having heard him, 
disobey, but ran 5 along the wall of the brazen-mailed 
Achaeans, and proceeding, stood beside the Ajaxes, and 
immediately addressed them : 

" Ye Ajaxes, leaders of brazen-mailed Achaeans, the 
beloved son of Jove-supported Peteeus, adjures you to go 355 
thither, that ye may share 6 his toil, though ever so little 
a ivhile — both indeed in preference, for that would be far 
the best of all — since fatal ruin will soon come there ; — to 
such a degree press on him the leaders of the Lycians, who 
before have ever been impetuous in hard conflicts. And if 360 
here also war and struggle arise, let the brave Telamonian 
Ajax alone come, and with him let Teucer follow, well 
skilled in the bow." 

Thus he spake, nor did the mighty Telamonian Ajax 

2 nvpyov — i. e. plainly, the wall. 

3 Bursting to enter, &c. 4 Running, call, &c. 
3 Went to run. 6 Meet, oppose. 



266 ILIAD XII.— V. 365—396. 

365 refuse. Instantly he addressed the son of Oileus in these 
winged words : 

" Ajax, here standings do thou and the gallant Lyco- 
medes exhort the Danaans to fight bravely ; and I will go 
thither and share the battle ; and will return again when 
I shall have well assisted them/ 5 

370 Thus then having spoken, Telamonian Ajax departed, 
and with him went Teucer, his brother, and son of the 
same father; and, along with them, Pandion carried the 
bent bow of Teucer. As soon as they, going along within 
the wall, reached brave Menestheus's tower — and they 
came up to them when they were hard pressed, for the 

375 gallant leaders and chiefs of the Lycians were mounting 
upon the bulwarks, like to a dark whirlwind — then they 
set-to to battle against them, and the shout arose. And 
Telamonian Ajax first slew a man, a comrade of Sarpedon, 

380 the brave Epicles, striking him with a rugged stone, one 
which, within the wall, large, lay at the top, by the battle- 
ment. A man would not easily raise it with both hands, 
not even although in his prime, one of such as men now 
are ; but he, lifting it on high, threw it, and burst the four- 
coned helmet, and crushed along with it at once all the 

385 bones of the skull : and he, like to a diver 7 , fell from the 
lofty tower, and his breath left his bones. Teucer likewise, 
from the high wall, wounded, with an arrow, Glaucus, the 
brave son of Hippolochus, as he was rushing on, in the part 
where he saw his arm bared ; and made him cease from 

390 combat. And he sprang back from the wall, concealing 
himself, that none of the Achaeans might perceive him 
wounded, and exult over him with words. And a pang 
came upon Sarpedon, on account of the departure of 
Glaucus 8 , for he perceived it at once ; but yet he was not 
neglectful of the contest ; for he struck Alcmaon, son of 

395 Thestor, hitting him with his spear, and tore out the spear 
again ; and Alcmaon, following the weapon, fell prone, and 

7 i. e. head foremost. 8 Glaucus departing. 



ILIAD XII.— V. 397—424. 267 

his armour, diversified with brass, rattled about him. And 
Sarpedon then seizing the battlement with his strong hands, 
pulled, and it all gave way together; and the wall above 
was laid bare, and it made a way for many 9 . Then Ajax 400 
and Teueer together charging, the one smote him with an 
arrow upon the splendid belt 1 of his huge shield, around his 
breast ; but Jupiter averted the fate of his son, that he 
might not be slain at the sterns of the ships. And Ajax, 
springing upon him, struck his shield 5 and the spear 405 
pierced quite through, and forcibly repelled him, while 
rushing on. And then he fell back a little from the battle- 
ment, but did not altogether retreat, because his spirit 
hoped yet to bear away glory. And, turning round upon 
the godlike Lycians, he exhorted them : 

" O Lycians, why thus do ye abate your vigorous 
exertions ? It is difficult for me, strong as I am, alone, 410 
breaking down the wall, to make a way to the ships. 
But follow along with me ; the effect 2 of numbers is 
better 3 ." 

Thus he spake ; and they, dreading their sovereign's 
rebuke, pressed on with more alacrity round their counsel- 
ling king. And the Argives, on the other side, strength- 415 
ened their columns within the wall, and their work seemed 
great. For neither could the gallant Lycians, bursting 
through the wall of the Danaans, make their way to the 
ships, nor were the warlike Danaans ever able to drive 
back the Lycians from the wall, since first they approached 420 
it. And as two men dispute in a common 4 field, respect- 
ing their boundaries, — holding measures in their hands — 
and contend in a small space about their just share 5 ; so 
did the battlements separate these warriors, and, for them, 

9 But they were prevented from passing through by Ajax. 

1 The TtXafiiov here seems to be the belt, by which the shield was sus- 
pended, and which went across the breast — in the same manner as the 
sword-belt, only in a contrary direction. 2 Work. 

:i The more we are the better our chance of success. 

A A portion of which — that upon which they stand — is claimed by both. 

4 terjfc, sell, ftoipag. 



268 ILIAD XII.— V. 425—454. 

425 each struck the circular ox-hide shields and light bucklers 
on their breasts. And many were wounded upon the body 
with the ruthless brass — both he of the combatants whose 
back, being turned, was exposed, and many quite through 

430 the shield itself. Every where were towers and battlements 
sprinkled on both sides with the blood of heroes, from Tro- 
jans and Achaeans. Yet not thus could they put the 
Achaeans to rout 6 ; but they held themselves, as an indus- 
trious 7 and just woman holds scales, who, balancing 8 both 
the weight and the wool, weighs them, making them equal 

435 on both sides, that she may procure a miserable support 9 
for her children. Thus equally was their battle and war 
suspended, before the time when Jove gave superior glory 
to Hector, son of Priam, who first leaped within the wall 
of the Achaeans, and shouted with a loud voice, exclaiming 
to the Trojans : 

440 £i Push on, ye horse- taming Trojans ; burst through the 
wall of the Argives, and hurl the blazing fire among the 
ships !" 

Thus he spake, cheering them on ; and they all heard 
him with their ears, and advanced in great numbers right 
towards the wall; and then mounted the battlements, 

445 holding their sharp-pointed spears. And Hector, seizing 
a stone, bore it along — one which stood before the gates, 
thick at the bottom, but above it was sharp ; and it not 
two, the best men of the people, such as men now are, 
could easily raise with levers from the ground upon a wag- 

450 gon ; but he, though alone, with ease brandished it, for 
the son of the wily Saturn had rendered it light to him. 
And as when a shepherd carries without difficulty the 
fleece of a ram, taking it in one hand, and but a small 
weight presses him ; so Hector, raising the stone, bore it 
right against the panels x which strengthened the gates, 



5 Cause a flight of the Greeks. 7 One who works for her livelihood. 

8 Holding. 9 Reward. 

1 As if they were hoth secured by one holt — of course things of which no 
type exists, must be more or less obscure. 



ILIAD XII.— V. -155—470. 269 

very closely compacted, with double leaves, and lofty, and 455 
two cross bars held them within, and to them one bolt was 
fitted 2 . Advancing, he stood very near, and, with his legs 
well apart, applying all his force, that the weapon might 
not be without effect, struck them in the middle. And he 
tore away both hinges, and the stone fell within through 
its weight : and the gates crashed around ; nor did the 460 
bolts withstand it, and the panels were split asunder in 
different directions by the force of the stone. And then 
illustrious Hector rushed in, resembling swift night in his 
aspect ; and he glittered in terrible brass, which he had on 
around his body. And he held two spears in his hands, 465 
nor could any one, opposing, restrain him, except the gods, 
after he had leaped within the gates ; for his eyes flashed 
with fire. And, turning, he animated the Trojans through- 
out the crowd to climb over the wall, and they obeyed him 
exhorting them. And immediately some crossed the wall, 
and others poured in by the well-made 3 gates ; and the 
Danaans fled in terror to the hollow ships, and a mighty 470 
tumult ensued. 

2 The panels clamped with the frame constituted the strength of the 
gates — hut we know as little of the carpentry as of the fitting of the oars 
and bolts. 

3 Made — as the effect of labour and art — strength is probably the idea 
meant to be conveyed. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER. 



BOOK XIII. 



ARGUMENT. 



Neptune engages on the part of the Grecians. The battle proceeds. Dei- 
phobus advances to combat, but is repulsed by Meriones, who, losing his 
spear, repairs to his tent for another. Teucer slays Imbrius, and Hector 
Amphimacus. Neptune, under the similitude of Thoas, exhorts Idome- 
neus. Idomeneus, having armed himself in his tent, and going forth to 
battle meets Meriones. After discourse held with each other, Idomeneus 
accommodates Meriones with a spear, and they proceed to battle. Ido- 
meneus slays Othryoneus and Asms. Deiphobus assails Idomeneus, but, 
his spear glancing over him, kills Hypsenor. Idomeneus slays Alcathous, 
son-in-law of Anchises. Deiphobus and Idomeneus respectively summon 
their friends to their assistance, and a contest ensues for the body of 
Alcathous. 

But Jupiter, when he had brought 1 the Trojans and 
Hector to the ships, left them to sustain beside them 
labour and toil incessantly : and himself turned 2 from them 
his shining eyes, looking away towards the land of the 
5 equestrian Thracians and the close-fighting Mysians, and 
the noble Hippemolgi, who live upon milk 3 , and are in- 
offensive 4 and most just. And he no longer now turned 

1 i. e. enabled them to break through the rampart, which protected the 
ships. 2 iraXiv tqzit. — from W. to N. 

3 Eaters of milk — mare's milk. 

4 afiiojv — i. e. if from jSia ; but if from (3iog — poor, or, possibly long-lived. 

]2 



ILAID XIII.— V. B— 36. 271 

bis glittering eyes upon Troy; for he did not expeet 5 in 
his mind that any one of the immortals would go to aid 
either the Trojans or the Danaans. 

But king Neptune was not unobservant G ; for he sat aloft 10 
upon the highest summit of the woody Thracian Samos, 
admiring 7 the war and the battle. For from thence all 
Ida was visible, and the city of Priam was visible, and the 
ships of the Achaeans. There then was he sitting, having 15 
come from the sea, and he pitied the Achaeans, subdued by 
the Trojans ; and strongly blamed Jove. And presently 
he descended from the rugged mountain, rapidly advancing 
on foot ; and the high hills and woods trembled beneath 
the immortal feet of Neptune, as he walked. Thrice he 20 
strode, advancing, and with the fourth stride he reached 
his point, ^Egae ; for there in the depths of the sea, noble 
mansions, golden, splendid, ever incorruptible, had been 
built for him. Coming thither, he harnessed 8 to the car 
his brazen-footed horses, swiftly flying, with golden manes 9 . 
And he clad his body in gold l ; and took his golden lash, 25 
beautifully fabricated, and mounted his car. And he 
drove 2 over the billows ; and whales sported beneath him 
in all directions from then' recesses, and they recognised 
their king 3 . And the sea made way 4 with joy; and they 
flew very rapidly; nor was the brazen axle wetted beneath. 30 
And his good-springing horses bore him to the ships of the 
Achaeans. 

And there is an ample cave in the abysses of the deep 
sea, between Tenedos and rugged Imbrus. There Neptune, 
shaker of the earth, stopped his horses, loosing them from 35 
the car, and cast beside them ambrosial food to eat. 



5 Or, had no apprehensions. 

c But king Neptune did not keep a blind look out. 

7 I. e. contemplating with admiration. 

8 TirvffKsro — strictly the word only applies to the reins. 

9 Being haired, or maned with golden manes. 

1 He put on gold around his person — i. e. he put on his golden mail. 

2 He went to drive. 3 Nor did they not recognise their king. 
4 Stood apart. 



272 ILIAD XIIL— V. 76—68. 

And round their feet he threw golden fetters, invincible, 

insoluble, that they might there steadily await their king's 

return ; and he departed towards the army of the Achaeans. 

And now the Trojans, in crowds, like to a flame or a 

40 storm, insatiably eager, followed Hector, son of Priam, 
with noise and tumult ; for they hoped to capture the ships 
of the Achaeans, and slay all the Achaeans on the spot. 
But the earth-encircling earth-shaking Neptune, coming 
from the deep sea, roused the Argives, in the person 5 , and 

45 with the indomitable voice of Calchas. The Ajaxes first 
he addressed, though prompt themselves : 

" Ajaxes, ye will preserve the people of the Achaeans, 
mindful of valour, not of direful flight . For in other 

50 places I dread not the strong 7 hands of the Trojans, who 
in crowds are crossing the vast rampart, for the well-armed 
Achaeans will keep them in check. But here, however, I 
am grievously afraid lest we suffer something, where, like a 
flame, leads on that maddened Hector, who boasts to be a 

55 child of almighty Jove. But may some of the gods thus 
put it in your minds 8 to stand firmly yourselves, and to 
exhort others — by that means ye may drive him impetuous 
as he is, from the ships, though the Olympian himself 
urge him on." 

The earth-circling Neptune said, and touching both with 

60 his sceptre, filled them with resolute courage, and made 
their limbs light — their feet below 9 , and hands above. And 
himself, as a swift-winged hawk springs to fly — one which, 
rising from a rugged lofty rock, rushes forward to pursue 

65 another bird over the plains, so from them darted the 
earth-shaking Neptune. And of the two, fleet Ajax, son 
of Oileus, recognized him first, and immediately then ad- 
dressed Ajax, the son of Telamon : 

5 Making himself in person and voice like Calchas. 

6 i. e. by exerting your valour, and not thinking of flight. 

7 Untouched, or that cannot be touched — i. e. not easily repelled. 

8 So make it in the minds to you. 

9 Understand svspSre . Comp. 75 of this book. 



ILIAD XIII.— V. 68— 102. 273 

" Courage ! Ajax, for one of the Gods who occupy 
Olympus, in the form of the prophet, exhorts us to fight 
beside the ships. That is not Calchas, the prophetic augur, 70 
for I readily knew him from behind by his feet and legs ', 
as he went away ; and indeed Gods are easily known. 
And in myself the spirit in my bosom is more excited to 
w r ar and to fight, and my feet beneath and hands above 75 
ardently desire it." 

And to him the Telamonian Ajax, answering, said: 
" So also now do my strong hands desire to grasp the spear, 
and my courage rises, and by both my feet under me am 
I urged along — and I eagerly desire, even alone, to combat 80 
with Hector, son of Priam, insatiably ardent to fight." 

Thus they such words spoke to each other, eager 
with the desire of battle, which the God had infused into 
their minds. And, mean while, the earth-shaker roused 
the Achaeans in the rear, who were recruiting their vigour 2 
at the swift ships ; for their limbs were at once enfeebled 85 
w r ith toilsome labour, and grief w r as in their minds, behold- 
ing the Trojans, who, in great numbers, had surmounted 
the vast rampart. Beholding them, they shed tears beneath 
their brows, for they said they should not escape destruc- 
tion : but the shaker of the earth going amongst them, 90 
easily roused the brave phalanxes. To Teucer and Leitus 
he came first, exhorting them, and to the hero Peneleus, 
and Thoas, and Deipyrus, and to Meriones and Antilochus, 
skilful in w r ar. Thes:, encouraging, he addressed in winged 
words : 

u O shame ! Argives, young men ; I trusted to you, by 95 
fighting, to preserve our ships ; but if ye relax in the de- 
structive battle, now is the day come to be subdued by 
the Trojans. Ye gods, a marvel great is this I behold 
with my eyes — shocking, what I never expected would 100 
come to pass — the Trojans approaching our ships — they 
who formerly resembled flying stags, which in the forest, 



Traces of legs and feet— i. e. his step and gait. 2 Their heart. 



274 ILIAD XIII.— V. 103—132. 

roaming there, feeble and not fit for combat, are the prey 
of lynxes, pards, and wolves. So the Trojans formerly 

105 would not stand against the courage and strength of the 
Achaeans — not the least. And now, far from their city, at 
the hollow ships they combat, through the cowardice 3 of 
our commander, and the indifference 4 of the troops 5 , who, 

110 quarrelling with him, will not defend the swift ships, but 
are slain among them. But although in reality the hero, 
the son of Atreus, the wide-ruling Agamemnon, be alto- 
gether in fault, because he insulted the swift-footed son of 
Peleus, still it is not for us to abandon the battle. But 

115 let us rather repair the evil; the hearts of the brave are 
the repairers. Not with honour relax ye from your brave 
exertions, the bravest as ye are in the army ; nor would I 
quarrel with a worthless man who skulked from combat ; 

120 but with you I am indignant at heart. O my friends, 
soon will ye create some greater evil by this indifference : 
do then each of you in your own hearts think of your own 
shame, and the censure of mankind 6 ; for now begins 
the mighty struggle. Already the gallant Hector, victo- 
riously, wars at the ships, and has broken the gates and 
long bar." 

125 Thus then did the earth-shaker, exhorting, rouse the 
Achaeans. And round the two Ajaxes stood firm pha- 
lanxes, which not even Mars, coming amongst them, 
could have found fault with 7 , nor Minerva, the stirrer-up 
of the people ; for the bravest, selected, awaited the Tro- 

130 jans and the noble Hector, joining spear to spear, shield 
to shield, in closest order 8 . Then shield supported shield, 
helmet helmet, and man man ; and their helmets, crested 
with horsehair, touched each other with their . splendid 

3 Or iniquity. 4 Or secession. 

5 i. e. of Achilles — or rather, the troops generally — as if they had become 
indifferent to the contest from their disapprobation of Agamemnon's conduct 
towards Achilles. 

c i. e. the shame and blame that will follow your own negligence. 

7 %. e. would have beheld with admiration. 

8 From the roots. 



ILIAD XIII.— V. 133—162. 275 

cones as they nodded 9 , so close they stood to one another ; 
and quivering spears were brandished from their daring 
hands, and their minds were alert ', and they burned to 135 
fight. But the collected Trojans first made the attack, and 
Hector led impetuous against them. As from a rock a 
stone, destructive in its course, which a wintry torrent hurls 
from the mountain top, bursting with a mighty flood the 
barriers of a rugged rock, flies bounding along, and the 140 
forest resounds beneath it: and irresistibly it runs un- 
checked till it reach the plain, and then rolls no longer, 
impetuous as it was — so Hector for a time threatens to 
come with ease as far as the sea, to the tents and ships of 
the Achaeans, slaughtering. But when now he met with 145 
the firm phalanxes, he stopt, being come in close contact ; 
and the opposing sons of the Achaeans, striking with their 
swords and double-pointed spears, drove him from them ; 
and, retiring, he was repulsed, and he cried, shouting aloud 
to the Trojans : 

" Ye Trojans, and Lycians, and Dardan warriors, stand 150 
firm. Not long will the Achaeans withstand me, although 
they have drawn 2 themselves up like a rampart. But I 
think they w r ill retreat from my spear, if in truth the best 
of the Gods, high-thundering husband of Juno, urges me 
on." 

So saying, he roused the valour and courage of each. 155 
And Deiphobus, son of Priam, went amongst them, 
proudly, and held his shield equal on all sides, before hiim, 
proceeding with light step, and advancing covered with 
his shield 3 ; and Meriones took aim with his shining 
spear, and struck — nor missed — the bullVhide shield every 
where equal ; but it pierced not through, for the long \qq 
spear far before was broken at the extremity. And 

9 Of them nodding.' 

1 They thought straight — or then* minds were right onward — i. e. they 
were eager to advance. 

2 Having drawn. 

3 Going on lightly with his feet, and under his shield putting one foot 
before the other. 

T 2 



276 ILIAD XIII.— V. 163—194. 

Deiphobus held away from him his buiTs-hide shield, and 
dreaded in his heart the spear of the warlike Meriones ; and 

165 that hero fell back into the column of his comrades, and 
was grievously enraged on both accounts, as well for the 
loss of the victory, as for the spear which he had broken. 
And he set out to go along the tents and ships of the 
Achaeans to fetch a long spear which had been left by him 
in his tent ; and the rest continued fighting and a mighty 
tumult arose. 

170 And Telamonian Teucer first slew an hero, warlike 
Imbrius, son of Mentor, rich in steeds ; for he dwelt at 
Pedaeum before the sons of the Achaeans arrived, and had 
married Medesicaste, a spurious daughter of Priam. But 

175 when the ships of the Danaans, with oars on both sides, 
arrived, he came back to Ilium, and was conspicuous among 
the Trojans ; and dwelt with Priam, who honoured him 
equally with his own sons. Him then the son of Telamon 
smote under the ear with his long spear, and wrenched it 
out again ; and he, on the other hand, fell like an ash, 

180 which, on the summit of a mountain conspicuous from afar, 
eut down with an axe 4 , brings its young foliage to the 
earth. So he fell, and his armour, diversified with brass, 
rang about him. And Teucer ran in, eager to strip him 
of his armour; and Hector hurled his shining spear at 
him thus running. But he however, seeing the brazen 

185 spear coming in front, swerved a little ; and Hector 
wounded, on the breast, with his spear, Amphimachus, son 
of Cteas, who was son of Actor, advancing to the battle ; 
and, falling, he made a crash, and his arms rang upon him. 
And Hector rushed to tear from the head of the brave 
Amphimachus the helmet fitted to his brows ; and Ajax 

190 hurled with his shining spear at Hector, while rushing in. 
But it never reached his person, for indeed he was all 
covered with terrible brass ; though he smote the boss of 
his shield, and drove him himself back with great violence ; 
and he fell back from both bodies, and the Achaeans dragged 

* With brass. 



ILIAD XIII.— V. 195—226. 277 

them oft' — Stichius and noble Menestheus, leaders of Athe- 195 
mans, took Amphimachus to the army of the Achaeans ; and 
the two Ajaxes, eager for impetuous combat, Imbrius. As 
two lions bear a goat through the thick underwood, snatch- 
ing it from dogs with jagged teeth 5 , holding it high above 
the earth in their jaws; so the two warriors, the Aj axes, 200 
holding him (Imbrius) aloft, stripped off his armour ; and 
the son of Oileus, enraged on account of Amphimachus, 
cut off his head from his soft neck, and rolling it, sent it 
like a ball through the crowd, and it fell in the dust before 205 
the feet of Hector. 

Then indeed was Neptune grieved at the heart for his 
grandson, fallen in dreadful combat ; and hastened 6 past 
the tents and ships of the Achaeans, exhorting the Danaans, 
and preparing disasters for the Trojans. And the spear- 
famed Idomeneus met him, returning from a comrade, 210 
who had lately come to him from the battle, wounded in 
the ham with a sharp spear, whom his comrades had 
carried in — he, having given directions to the surgeons, 
was returning from his tent, for he still desired to parti- 
cipate in the combat. And him king Neptune addressed, 215 
assimilating his voice to that of Thoas 7 , the son of An- 
draemon, who governed the ^Etolians throughout all Pleu- 
ron and the lofty Calydon, and who was honoured by the 
people as a god : 

" Idomeneus, commander of the Cretans, where are gone 
the threats with which the sons of the Achaeans threatened 220 
the Trojans ?" 

And to him, in reply, Idomeneus, the leader of the 
Cretans, said : " No man, O Thoas, as far as I know, is 
now at least in fault ; for we all know how to fight 8 . Nei- 
ther does dispiriting fear detain any one, nor does any one, 
yielding to sloth, avoid the dire battle ; but thus, it seems, 225 
some how or other, to be agreeable to the all-powerful son 

i. e. from the dogs which had the care of the flocks. 6 (3rj uvea, 

7 Assimilating himself, as to voice, to Thoas. 
* sciL and of course ready to fight. 



278 ILIAD XIII.— V. 227—257. 

of Saturn, that the Achaeans should perish inglorious here, 
far from Argos. But, Thoas — for of old thou also wert 
warlike, and didst rouse up another when thou sawest 

230 him negligent — therefore neither now desist thyself, but 
exhort each man. 

And him answered then Neptune, the shaker of the 
earth : " Never may that man, O Idomeneus, more return 
from Troy, but let him here be the sport of the dogs, who- 
soever of his own will shall this day desist from fighting. 

235 Come then, fetch thy weapons and come hither; for it 
behoves us to be active together 9 , that, though but two, we 
may be of some service. The combined force of men, even 
of the worthless, is something — and we both know how to 
fight even with the brave V 

So saying, the God departed again to the battle 2 of 

240 heroes. And Idomeneus, when now he had arrived at his 
well-constructed tent, put on his rich armour around his 
body, and seized two spears ; and hastened to go like to a 
thunder-bolt, which the son of Saturn, seizing in his hand, 
hurls from the glittering Olympus, showing a sign to mor- 

245 tals, for its rays are brilliant : so shone the brass around 
his breast as he ran 3 . And then Meriones, his brave 
comrade, met him while yet near the tent; for he was 
going to fetch a brazen spear ; and the mighty Idomeneus 4 
addressed him : 

250 u Meriones, son of Molus, swift of foot, dearest of my 
comrades, why comest thou thus, quitting the war and the 
battle ? Art thou at all wounded, and does the point of a 
spear afflict thee ? Or comest thou after me with some 
message 5 ? For I myself am not desirous to sit within 
my tent, but to fight." 

255 And to him, in reply, the prudent Meriones said : 
a Idomeneus, commander of the brazen-mailed Cretans, 
I come, if any spear be left thee in thy tents, to fetch it ; 

9 To hasten these things. l i. e. we are capable of fighting, &c. 

2 a[xxovov for ava ttovov — to the toil. 3 Of him running. 

4 The might of Idomeneus addressed. 5 Supply tvtKa. 



ILIAD XIII.— V. 258—288. :27\) 

for we have just broken, what I had before, striking 6 the 
shield of bold Deiphobus." 

And to him, in reply, I domeneus, leader of the Cretans, 
said : tt Spears certainly^ if thou wish them, one-and- 260 
twenty thou wilt find, standing in the tent against the 
shining Avails — Trojan ones, which I have taken from the 
slain ; for I never think of fighting 7 , standing afar off, with 
foe-men. Therefore I have spears and bossy shields, and 265 
helmets, and corselets, brightly shining." 

And to him, in reply, the prudent Meriones said : " In 
my tent too 8 and black ship are many spoils of the Tro- 
jans ; but they are not at hand to take them. For neither 
do I think that I am forgetful of valour 9 , but stand among 
the foremost in glorious * battle, whenever the strife of war 270 
arises. By others of the brazen-mailed Achaeans I may 
not have been observed fighting ; but I think thou must 
thyself have seen me 2 ." 

And to him, in reply, I domeneus, leader of the Cretans, 
said : " I know what thou art as to valour : why needst 275 
thou name these things ? For if now at the ships all the 
bravest of us were selected for an ambuscade, where the 
courage of men is especially perceived, where the coward, 
and he who is brave is made apparent — for the colour of 
the coward varies 3 from this to that, nor is his heart 280 
within his bosom repressed, so as to sit quietly, but he 
cowers, and sits upon both his feet, and his heart greatly 
beats within his breast, expecting death, and there is a 
chattering of his teeth, — but the colour of the brave man 
neither changes, nor is he at all disturbed, after he first 285 
sits down in the ambuscade of heroes, for he prays to min- 
gle, as soon as possible, in direful fight — no one, in that 
case, would disparage thy courage and might. For if, 
labouring in the battle, thou wert wounded from a distance, 

c Having struck. 7 p 0Y t do not think to war. 

8 To me at my tent. 9 j. e. am without it. 

1 Giving glory to men. 2 Meriones was his second in command. 
3 Is turned, or turns. 



280 ILIAD XIII.— V. 289—316. 

or smitten in close fight, the weapon would not fall upon 

290 thy neck behind, nor upon thy back ; but either pierce thy 
breast, or thy belly, as thou wert rushing forward i in the 
conflict of foremost combatants. Come then, let us no 
longer talk of these matters, like fools standing 5 , lest per- 
haps some one unjustly chide us ; but, go to the tent, and 
choose thee a strong spear." 

295 Thus he spake, and Meriones, equal to swift Mars, 
speedily took from the tent a brazen spear; and went, 
very eager for war, after Idomeneus. And as man- 
destroying Mars enters the battle, and with him fol- 
lows Terror, his dear son, at the same time powerful 

300 and fearless, who strikes fear even into the resolute war- 
rior — they 6 then, from Thrace, arm against the Ephyri 
or the brave Phlegyans; nor listen to both, but give 
glory to one or the other 7 . Such advanced to battle 

305 Meriones and Idomeneus, leaders of heroes, armed in 
glittering brass : and Meriones first addressed him in these 
words : 

" Son of Deucalion, where dost thou purpose to enter 
the throng ? To the right of all the army, or at the 
centre — or upon the left ? Since no where in the battle 

310 do I think that the long-haired Achaeans so much require 
support 8 ." 

And to him again in return Idomeneus, the leader of 
the Cretans, said : " At the ships in the centre there are 
both others to assist them, and the two Ajaxes 9 and Teucer, 
who is the best of the Achaeans in archery, and is also 

315 brave in standing fight; they will harass, to satiety 1 , Hec- 
tor, son of Priam, though eager for battle, and be he ever 

i Of thee, rushing forward, 5 Standing — i. e. doing nothing. 

6 Mars and Terror. 

7 i. e. Both appealed to Mars, but He and Terror help only one. So the 
aid of Idomeneus and Meriones were alike required right and left, but they 
decide to go to the left. 

8 In want of — defective in war — i. e. inferior in force, as in the left. 

- n The Ajaxes had quitted the left to go to the assistance of Mnestheus, 
M. 373. > adtjv. 



ILIAD XIII.— V. 317—345. 281 

so stout. Hard will it be for him, although burning to 
fight, overpowering their might and strong hands, to set 
fire to the ships, unless the son of Saturn himself cast a 
flaming torch upon the swift ships. Not indeed will the 320 
mighty Telamonian Ajax yield to any man, who is a mor- 
tal, and eats the fruit of Ceres, and is penetrable to brass 
and huge stones. Nor would he give way to warlike 2 
Achilles, at least in standing fight, though he is by no 325 
means able to contend with him with his feet. On with 
us, therefore, to the left of the army, that we may quickly 
know whether we shall give glory to any one, or any one 
to us." 

Thus he spake. And Meriones, equal to rapid Mars, 
began to proceed until they came to that part of the army 
where he bade him. But they, when they beheld Idome- 330 
neus, in his might resembling a flame, both himself and 
his comrade in curiously-wrought armour, exhorting each 
other along the crowd, — all advanced against him, and 
their battle was hand to hand at the sterns of the ships 3 . 
And as, when storms sweep along, driven by roaring winds, 
on a day when the dust upon the roads is very abundant, 335 
and they (the winds) at the same time raise 4 a large cloud 
of dust; so came on the battle of these together., and 5 they 
were eager in their minds to slaughter one another through- 
out the throng with sharp brass. And horrible grows the 
combat, deadly to mortals, with the long spears which 
they held sharpened 6 ; and the brazen splendour dazzled 340 
their eyes from the glittering helmets, the newly-burnished 
corselets, and shining shields, coming together. Truly 
very brave-hearted would he have been, who beholding 
their toil, could then have rejoiced, and not been dis- 
turbed. 

The two mighty sons of Saturn, favouring different sides, 345 

2 Who by his valour breaks the ranks of the enemy. 

3 And the contest of them stood equal at the sterns of the ships. 

1 Make to stand. 5 ^ Cm ^fa p ar ti s. 

6 Fit for cutting bodies. 



282 ILIAD XIII.— V. 346—373. 

prepared sad griefs for heroes 7 . On the one hand Jupiter 
willed victory to the Trojans and to Hector, glorifying 
the swift-footed Achilles ; and did not desire to destroy 
entirely the Achaean people before Ilium, but honoured, 

350 Thetis and her gallant-hearted son. On the other hand, 
Neptune, emerging from the hoary deep, coming secretly 
amongst them, encouraged the Argives ; for he grieved 
that they should be subdued by the Trojans ; and was 
vehemently angry with Jupiter. Certainly to both the 
birth was the same, and their family one, but Jove was 

355 born first, and possessed more knowledge 8 . For this 
reason also Neptune avoided assisting them openly, but 
always privately encouraged them in the army, in the 
shape of a man. These therefore, alternating, stretched 
out over both the rope of hard contest and destructive war, 

360 infrangible, and insoluble, which relaxed the limbs 9 of 
many. 

Then, though advanced in years *, Tdomeneus, exhorting 
the Danaans, excited terror 2 among the Trojans, springing 
upon them ; for he slew Othryoneus, who had come from 
Cabesus to Priam's 3 . He had lately arrived, on the report 

365 of the war 4 , and demanded Cassandra, the most beautiful 
in form of the daughters of Priam, without giving a dowry, 
but he had promised a mighty deed, to drive in spite of 
them the sons of the Achaeans from Troy. And to him 
the aged Priam had promised her, and engaged 5 to give her ; 

370 and he fought, trusting to his promises. But Idomeneus 
took aim at him with his shining spear, and hurling it, 
smote him, stalking proudly along; nor did the brazen 
corselet which he wore resist 6 it, but he fixed it in the 



7 Men who are heroes — heroic men. 

8 And knew more things— i. e. had more experience — universally, in 
Homer, age measures knowledge. 9 Knees. 

l Half grey. 2 *• e » na ^ routed them. 

a Being within from Cahesus— i. e. "being a guest of Priam. 

4 Unless the phrase means— in pursuit of martial glory. 

5 KGLTivevat — bowed with the head. 

6 Was not sufficient to repel it. 



ILIAD XIII.— V. 374—401. 283 

middle ot* his belly ; and falling, lie made a crash; and the 
other gloried over Mm, and said : 

•• Othryoneus ! above all mortals will I extol thee, if 
thou wilt now in truth accomplish all which thou didst 375 
undertake for Priam, descendant of Dardanus, when he 7 
promised thee his daughter. We likewise will promise the 
same things, and accomplish them for thee. And we will 
give thee the fairest of the daughters of the son of Atreus 
to wed, fetching her from Argos, if along with us thou wilt 
destroy the well-inhabited city of Ilium. Follow then, 380 
that we may settle with thee about the marriage at the 
sea-crossing ships ; for we are by no means bad fathers- 
in-law 8 ." 

So saying, the hero Idomeneus dragged him by the foot 
through the fierce battle. But Asius came as an avenger 
to him, on foot, before his (own) horses — and them his 385 
attendant driver always kept breathing upon his shoulders 
— for he burned in his soul to strike Idomeneus ; but anti- 
cipating him, Idomeneus smote him with his spear in the 
throat, below the chin, and drove the weapon quite through. 
And he fell, as when some oak falls^ or white poplar, or 390 
lofty pine, which builders 9 have cut down upon the moun- 
tains with newly-sharpened axes^ to become ship-timber. 
So he lay, stretched before his horses and chariot, gnash- 
ing his teeth, and grasping the bloody dust. And his driver 
was deprived ' of the senses, which he before had, nor did 
he dare — escaping from the hands of the enemy — -to turn 395 
back his horses ; and him stout Antilochus, hitting, trans- 
fixed in the middle with his spear ; nor did the brazen 
corselet which he wore resist it, but he fixed it in the mid- 
dle of his belly. Then, panting^ Asius fell from the well- 
made car, and Antilochus, the son of the brave Nestor, 400 
drove away the horses from the Trojans to the well-armed 
Achaeans. 

7 And he. 8 i. e. not illiberal ones. 

9 Artificers of men. 1 Was stricken as to, tVe. 



284 ILIAD XIII.— V. 402—431. 

And Deiphobus, enraged on account of Asius, approached 
very near to Idomeneus, and darted with his shining spear. 
But Idomeneus beholding it coming against him, avoided 
405 the brazen spear, for he concealed 3 himself behind his 
shield equal on all sides, which he carried, formed of the 
hides of oxen and of glittering brass, furnished with two 
handles *. Behind this he collected himself entirely 5 , and 
the brazen spear flew over him. And his shield returned 
410 a dry sound 6 , as the spear sprang close over it. Yet De'i- 
phobus sent it not in vain from his heavy hand, but struck 
Hypsenor, the son of Hippasus, shepherd of people, upon 
the liver, below the midriff, and immediately loosened his 
knees under him. And Deiphobus gloried prodigiously 
over him, loudly exclaiming : 

" Surely not unavenged lies Asius ; and I think that he, 
415 in going to the strong-gated, massy mansion of Hades, will 
rejoice in his mind, since I have given to him a compa- 
nion." 

Thus he spake ; and a pang came upon the Argives at 
his boast 7 ; and particularly did he shake the soul of the 
warlike Antilochus. Yet, grieved as he was, he neglected 
420 not his comrade, but running, protected him, and covered 
him over with his shield. Him then his two dear com- 
rades, Mecisteus, son of Echius, and noble Alastor, sup- 
porting, bore to the hollow ships, themselves groaning 
deeply. But Idomeneus remitted not his mighty valour ; 
425 and always burned either to cover some of the Trojans with 
pitchy night 8 , or to fall himself with a crash, in repelling 
destruction from the Achaeans. Then the hero Alcathous, 
the beloved son of princely iEsyetas — and he was the son- 
in-law of Anchises, for he had married Hippodameia, the 
430 eldest of his daughters, whom her father and venerable 
mother loved from their hearts, whilst in their house, be- 

3 Was concealed. 4 Osiers. 

5 i. e. he cowered under his shield. 6 As Virgil's "aridus fragor." 

7 He glorying. 8 Night of Erebus — L e. death. 



ILIAD XIII.— V. 432 — 458. 285 

cause she excelled all of her age in beauty, in accomplish- 
ments, and intelligence 9 , for which reason also the most 
distinguished man in wide Troy had married her — him then 
Neptune subdued under Idomeneus, blinding ' his shining 435 

3, and fettered his fair limbs. For he was able neither 
to fly back nor to turn aside ; and, standing motionless, like 
a pillar or high-topped tree, the hero Idomeneus wounded 
him with his spear in the middle of the breast, and burst 
the brazen coat around him, which before warded off de- 
struction from his body ; and it then sent forth a dry sound, 440 
severed by the spear ; and falling, he gave a crash, and the 
spear was fixed in his heart, which, palpitating, shook even 
the handle of the spear ; and there at length the strong 
Mars 2 remitted his force. And Idomeneus gloried greatly 445 
over him, loudly exclaiming : 

" Well, O De'iphobus, we consider, three 3 being killed for 
one, at least some equivalent 4 , since thou boastest in this 
way. But stand thyself also, friend, against me, that thou 
mayest know what I am 5 , who come hither, the descendant 
of Jove — he who first begot Minos, the governor of 450 
Crete; and Minos, again, begot Deucalion, his illus- 
trious son, and Deucalion begot me, king over many men 
in extensive Crete. And now my ships have brought me 
hither, an evil both to thee and to thy father, and the 
other Trojans." 

Thus he spake, and De'iphobus hesitated between two 455 
measures c , whether, falling back, he should associate with 
himself one of the brave Trojans, or even alone make the 
attempt 7 ; and to him, thus meditating, it appeared to be 



9 Mind — i. e. prudence. 

1 I. e. by a sort of spell. 

2 Aprig — attributing every thing in battle to Mars — the word represents, 
occasionally, valour, arms, battle, &c. — as here it does the spear. 

3 i. e. Othryoneus, Asius, and Alcathous, for Hypsenor, whom De'iphobus 
had killed. 

4 i e. as good a ground of boasting as any deed of thine. 

"' What a man I come. 6 Deliberated two ways. 

7 i. e. against Idomeneus. 



286 ILIAD XIII.— V. 459—488. 

best to go in search of yEneas. And him he found stand- 
ing in the rear of the army, for he was ever at enmity with 

460 noble Priam, because indeed Priam by no means honoured 
him, though valiant among heroes. And, standing near, 
he addressed him in these winged words : 

" iEneas, commander of Trojans, now does it greatly 
behove thee to protect thy brother-in-law, if indeed any re- 

465 gard 8 for him touches thee. Follow then that we may 
bring aid to Alcathous 9 , who, being thy brother-in-law, 
nourished thee whilst very young in his mansions, and 
whom spear-skilled Idomeneus hath slain." 

Thus he spake, and roused the courage in his breast ; 
and he went in pursuit of Idomeneus greatly desirous 

470 of battle. Yet fear seized not Idomeneus, like a young 
child, but he stood firm, as when some boar in the moun- 
tains, confident in his strength, which abides the mighty 
tumult of men coming against him, in a desert place, and 
upwards bristles his back ; and his eyes flash with fire, and 

475 he sharpens his teeth, eager to repulse both dogs and 
men. So spear-famed Idomeneus awaited iEneas, rapid 
in combat, coming against him, nor retired ; but shouted 
to his comrades, looking out to Ascalaphus, and Aphareus, 
and Deipyrus, and Meriones, and Antilochus, skilful in 

480 fight. Exhorting these, he addressed them in winged 
words : 

" Hither, my friends, and succour me here all alone, for 
I greatly fear swift-footed iEneas, charging, who is ap- 
proaching me — who is very powerful to slay men in battle, 
and possesses the bloom of youth, which is the greatest ad- 

485 vantage. For if we were of the same age, with this spirit, 
either he would quickly bear off great glory, or I myself 
should bear it off." 

Thus he spake : and then all, having one determina- 
tion in their minds, stood near him, placing 1 their shields 



Krjdog — i. e. affinity — or regard on account of affinity. 

i. e. to bring off the body. 

i. e. making a line of shields for the protection of Idomeneus. 

12 



ILIAD XIII.— V. 489—519. 287 

upon their shoulders. And zEneas, on the other side, 
animated his companions, casting his eyes upon Deiphobus, 490 
and Paris, and the noble Agenor, who, together with him- 
self, were leaders of the Trojans. And then followed the 
people, as sheep follow from their pasture after the ram 
to drink ; and the shepherd then rejoices in mind. So 
was the soul of ^Eneas gladdened in his breast, when he 495 
beheld a body of troops following himself. These there- 
fore engaged hand to hand round Alcathous with long 
spears, and on their breasts rang horribly the brass, each 
aiming at the other in the crowd. But two warlike men, 
superior to the rest, iEneas and Idomeneus, each equal to 500 
Mars, burned to wound each others bodies with the ruth- 
less brass. And ^Eneas first hurled his javelin at Idome- 
neus ; but he perceiving it coming towards him, avoided 
the brazen spear; and the spear of ^Eneas fell 2 quivering 
to the earth, for it sprang in vain from his strong hand. 
And next Idomeneus smote CEnomaus in the middle of 505 
the belly, and the spear burst the cavity of his corselet, 
and, piercing, let out 3 his entrails ; and, falling amid the 
dust, he grasped the earth with his hand 4 . And Idome- 
neus plucked out the long spear from his body, but was 510 
unable to tear off the other rich armour from his shoulders, 
for he was pressed with weapons. For no longer were 
the joints of his feet firm as he rushed, either to spring 
after his own weapon, or avoid that of another 5 . Where- 
fore also in standing fight he warded off the fatal day, nor 
did his feet longer bear him with ease in retreating 6 from 515 
the battle. Against him, thus slowly retiring, Deiphobus 
hurled his glittering lance, for he had ever a rooted hatred 
towards him 7 . But then too he missed him, and struck 
with his javelin Ascalaphus, the son of Mars, and drove 



2 Went. 3 And drank his bowels through — or tapped them. 

1 Palm. 

5 Firm to him attacking, neither indeed to rush on after his own weapon, 
nor to avoid. G To fly. 

7 i. e. because he had missed his aim at Idomeneus before. 



288 ILIAD XIII.— V. 520—552. 

520 the strong spear through his shoulder ; and falling amid 
the dust, Ascalaphus grasped the earth with his hand. 

Not yet, however, had loudly-roaring, fierce Mars heard 
that his son had fallen in the fierce fight; but he sat at 
the time beneath golden clouds upon the summit of 
Olympus, excluded from the battle by the counsels of Jove, 

525 where also the other immortal gods were restrained from 
the war. In the mean time they (Trojans and Achceans) 
engaged hand to hand round Ascalaphus. And Derphobus 
tore the shining helmet from Ascalaphus ; and Meriones, 
equal to swift Mars, springing upon him, smote him with 

530 his spear in the arm, and the crested helmet, falling from his 
hand, rang upon the earth. And Meriones, again spring- 
ing forward upon him, like a vulture, plucked out the tough 
spear from the lower part of his arm, and retired again 
upon the column of his comrades. And Polites, his own 
brother 8 , throwing his hands round his middle, carried 

535 him out of the horrid-sounding battle, till he reached his 
fleet horses, which awaited him 9 in the rear of the combat 
and the war, with the driver and a variegated car ; which 
then carried him towards the city, groaning heavily, and 
exhausted ; and the blood flowed from his lately-wounded 

540 hand. But the others fought on, and a mighty clamour 
arose ; and JEneas, rushing upon Aphareus, the son of 
Caletor, struck him with his sharp spear upon the throat, 
as he was turned towards him. And his head hung on 
one side, and his shield followed, and his helmet ; and 

545 destructive x death poured around him. And Antilochus, 
watching Thoas turning round, attacked and wounded 
him 2 ; and cut away all the vein, which, running quite 
along the back, reaches the neck. All this he cut away ; 
and Thoas fell prone in the dust, extending both hands to 

550 his beloved comrades. And Antilochus sprang upon him, 
and stripped the armour from his shoulders, looking 
around; and the Trojans around, on every side, struck his 

8 i. e. of Ascalaphus. 9 Which stood for him. 

1 Which takes away the soul. 



ILIAD XIII.— V. 552—580. 289 

broad and ornamented 3 shield with their darts, but they 
were not able to graze with the dire brass the soft skin of 
Antilochus behind it ; because the earth-shaking Neptune 
protected the son of Nestor all round, even among many 555 
weapons. For never was he without his enemies 4 ; but he 
turned himself about against them ; nor did he hold his 
spear without motion, but, ever brandished, it was whirled 
around ; and he purposed in his mind either to hurl it at 
some one afar off, or to rush upon some one close at 
hand \ And intending this amid the throng, he escaped 560 
not the observation of Adamas, the son of Asias, who 
smote him in the middle of his shield with his sharp spear 6 , 
rushing close to him ; but the azure-haired Neptune 
weakened the spear, grudging him the life of Antilochus. 
Part of it remained there, like a stake burned in the fire, 
in the shield of Antilochus, and the other half lay upon 565 
the ground ; and he retired back upon the column of his 
comrades, shunning death. But Meriones, following him 
as he retreated 7 , smote him with his spear between the 
groin and the navel, where a wound 8 is particularly painful 
to miserable mortals. There he fixed the spear in him ; and 570 
he falling 9 , struggled around the spear, as an ox, whom 
cow-herds in the mountains forcibly binding with twisted 
cords, lead away against his will. So the wounded -man 
struggled, though for a short time — not very long — until 
the hero Meriones, coming near, plucked the spear from 575 
his body ; and darkness covered his eyes. 

And Helenus, close at hand, struck Dei'pyrus with 
his huge Thracian sword upon the temple, and cut away 
the three-coned helmet ; which, dashed off, fell upon the 
ground — and some one of the combating Achaeans lifted 
it up, while rolling at his feet — and pitchy night covered 580 

3 Or rather the shield that turned in all directions, with the quick move- 
ments of Antilochus. 

4 L e. they were on every side. 

5 aicovTKjaai and ax^ov upfxij^rrjvai. 6 Brass. 
7 I. e. backward, with his face to the enemy. 

* np>jc. S«e 444 of this book. 9 Following. 

U 



290 ILIAD XIII.— V. 581—611. 

his eyes. Then grief seized the son of Atreus, the 
gallant Menelaus, and he advanced, threatening the 
hero, prince Helenus, and brandishing his sharp spear; 
and the other drew the horn 1 of his bow. Together 

585 then they rushed — the one was eager to launch his sharp 
spear, and the other an arrow from the string. Then 
the son of Priam smote him with an arrow at the breast, 
on the cavity of the corselet, but the deadly arrow glanced 
off. And as when from a broad winnowing fan, in a large 
threshing floor, black-skinned beans or vetches rebound 

590 under the shrill blast and the violence of the winnower ; so, 
strongly repelled off by the corselet of the glorious Mene- 
laus, the deadly arrow flew afar. And then brave Menelaus, 
son of Atreus, struck the hand with which he (Helenus) 
held his well-polished bow; and the brazen spear drove 

595 to the other side, through his hand, into the bow 2 . And 
Helenus retired back upon the column of his comrades, 
avoiding death, and hanging down his hand at his side, 
and the ashen spear was dragged along with him. And 
then the noble Agenor extracted it from his hand, and 

600 bound up the hand itself with well-twisted wool 3 — a sling, 
which an attendant carried for him, the shepherd of the 
people. And Pisander went direct against the glorious 
Menelaus, for evil fate led him towards the goal 4 of death, 
to be subdued by thee, O Menelaus, in dire battle. When 
therefore they were near, advancing against each other, 

605 the son of Atreus missed his stroke, and the spear turned 
aside ; and Pisander smote the shield of the glorious Me- 
nelaus, but was unable to drive the spear quite through ; 
for the broad shield repelled it, and the spear was broken at 
the extremity ; still he exulted in his mind, and hoped for 

610 victory. And the son of Atreus, drawing his silver-studded 
sword, sprang upon Pisander; and he (Pisander) took 



1 See A. 375. 

2 Perhaps — through the hand with the bow in it. 

3 Sheep's wool — of which the sling was made. It was, apparently, un- 
twisted, and applied as a bandage. i The end. 



ILIAD XIII.— V. 012— 641. 291 

from beneath his shield a handsome battle-axe of brass, 
with an olive-tree handle, long and well-polished ; and at 
once they rushed at each other. Then he (Pisander) cut 
away the cone of the helmet, thick with horse-hair, under 
the very crest ; but Menelaus smote him, while advancing, 615 
upon the forehead, above the extremity of the nose ; and 
the bones crashed, and both his eyes fell at his feet upon 
the ground in the dust, covered with blood : and falling, 
he writhed. And the other (Menelaus) placing his heel upon 
his breast, stripped him of his armour, and, boasting, ut- 
tered this speech : 

a Thus 5 at length will ye leave 6 the ships of the Danaans 620 
possessed of fleet horses, ye treaty-breaking Trojans, in- 
satiable of dire battle. In other wrong and baseness were 
ye not wanting, with which ye wronged me, ye worthless 
dogs ; nor dreaded ye at all in your minds the severe anger 
of high-thundering Jove, guardian of hospitalities 7 , who will 
yet destroy for you your lofty city — ye who unprovoked 625 
departed, carrying off my own wedded wife and many 
treasures, after ye had been hospitably received at her 
house. Now, again, ye eagerly desire to hurl destructive 
fire upon our sea-crossing ships, and to slay the Achaean 
heroes. But ye shall yet be restrained, impetuous as ye 630 
are, from war. O, father Jove, they say indeed that thou 
exceedest others, both men and gods, in wisdom, yet from 
thee do all these things proceed — how much dost thou 
gratify these insolent Trojans, whose force is ever iniquitous, 
nor can they be glutted with destructive war ! There is 635 
satiety of all things, of sleep, and of love, and of sweet 
singing, and of graceful dancing — things with which one is 
ever more eager to satisfy his desires, than with war ; but 
the Trojans are insatiable in fight." 

Having thus spoken, the illustrious Menelaus, stripping 640 
the bloody armour from the body, gave it to his com- 

3 Thus — i. e. by losing your chiefs one after another. 

6 Leave — i. e. give up your attempt on the ships. 

7 He is here alluding to the insult offered by Paris to him. 

u 2 



292 ILIAD XIII.— V. C42— 672. 

panions; and himself advancing, was again mixed with 
the foremost combatants. Then Harpalion, the son of 
king Pylaemenes, — who had accompanied his beloved 

645 father to Troy, to make war, leapt upon him, nor re- 
turned he back to his native land. He then, near at 
hand, struck the middle of Atrides' shield with his lance, 
nor was he able to drive the brass through ; but retired 
back upon the column of his comrades, avoiding death, 
looking round on all sides, lest any one should strike 8 his 

650 body with a spear. Meriones, however, sent a brazen arrow 
at him, departing, and struck him upon the right hip ; and 
the arrow penetrated to the other side, through the blad- 
der, below the bone. Sinking down, therefore, in the same 
place, and breathing out his life in the arms of his beloved 

655 comrades, he lay, stretched upon the ground like a worm; 
and his black blood flowed and wetted the earth. Of him 
the brave Paphlagonians took care, and, lifting him upon a 
car, bore him to sacred Ilium, grieving for him ; and with 
them went his father, shedding tears : but there was no 
revenge for his dead son. 

660 And Paris was greatly enraged in his soul on account 
of the slain 9 , for he -had been his guest among many 
Paphlagonians ; filled with anger on his account, he sent 
forth a brazen arrow. And there was one Euchenor, a 
son of the seer Polyeidos, both wealthy and brave, inha- 

665 biting mansions at Corinth, who, well aware of his fatal 
destiny, had arrived in a ship. For often had Polyeidos, 
the good old man, told him, that he would perish in his 
halls of a grievous disease, or be subdued by the Trojans 
at the ships of the Achaeans ; by this l then he avoided 

670 a ^ once the severe fine 2 of the Achaeans and odious dis- 
ease, that he might not suffer sorrows 3 in his mind. Him 
he (Paris) smote below the jaw and ear; and the soul 



8 Touch. 9 Harpalion. 

1 i. e. by going to Troy. 

2 Which would have been levied on him for refusing the service. Corinth 
was under the authority of Agamemnon. 3 Or the pain of disease. 



ILIAD XIII.— V. 673—702. 293 

quickly departed from his limbs, and hateful darkness 
seized him. 

Thus then they fought like to a glowing fire. And 
Hector, beloved of Jove, had not learned, nor at all knew, 
that at the left 4 of the ships his people were slaughtered 675 
by the Argives, and that the victory 5 would soon be the 
Achaeans' — for so much did the earth-shaking Neptune 
excite the Argives, and himself besides assisted with his 
might ; but he (Hector) pressed on in the direction where 
first he had sprung within the gates and wall, breaking the 680 
close ranks of the shielded Danaans. There were the ships 
of Ajax and Protesilaus, drawn up upon the shore of the 
hoary sea ; and before 6 them the wall was built lowest 7 , 
where themselves and their horses were most impetuous in 
combat. And there 8 the Boeotians and long-robed Iaonians, 685 
the Locrians, and the Phthians, and illustrious Epeians, 
kept him from the ships, fiercely rushing on; but were 
unable to drive away from them the noble Hector, resem- 
bling a flame. Of the Athenians, some stood in the van, 
and among them Menestheus, the son of Peteus, had the 690 
command ; and with him followed Pheidas, and Stichius, 
and the brave Bias. And Meges, the son of Phyleus, and 
Amphion, and Dracius, commanded the Epeians ; and at 
the head of the Phthians were Medon and stout Podarces 
— Medon was a bastard son of the noble O'ileus, brother 
of Ajax, and dwelt at Phyla ce, away from his native coun- 695 
try, having murdered a man, the brother of his step-mother 
Eriopis, whom Oileus had married ; but the other (Podarces) 
was the son of Iphiclus, son of Phylacus — these in arms at 
the head of the brave Phthians, fought along with the 
Boeotians, defending the ships. And Ajax, the swift son 700 
of Oileus, never at all stood apart from the Telamonian 
Ajax, not a little ; but as in a fallow field two dark bul- 



4 i. e. with reference to the Achaeans — towards the Simois. 5 Glory. 

6 Above. 

7 L e. where Ajax was posted — there the rampart was built lowest. 

8 I. e. where Hector broke in, and rushed upon the ships. 



294 ILIAD XIII.— V. 703—733. 

locks, possessed of equal spirit, drag the compacted plough, 

705 and much sweat breaks out about the roots of their horns, 
and the well-polished yoke alone divides them 9 , stepping 
along the furrow, and the plough cuts up the bottom of 
the soil; so they, joined together, stood very near to 
each other. Many and brave troops indeed followed the 

710 son of Telamon as comrades, who received from him his 
shield, whenever fatigue and sweat came upon his knees \ 
But the Locrians followed not the brave son of Oileus, for 
their heart remained not firm to them in standing fight, 
because they had not brazen helmets, crested with horse- 

715 hair, nor had they good rounded shields and ashen spears ; 
but they accompanied him to Ilium, trusting to their bows 
and their slings 2 : with which they, frequently throwing at 
them, broke the phalanxes of the Trojans. Then indeed 
did these (the AjaxesJ in the van, in their curiously-wrought 

720 armour, fight against the Trojans and brazen-mailed Hec- 
tor, and their troops, shooting in the rear, were unseen : 
nor were the Trojans any longer mindful of combat 3 , for 
the arrows threw them into confusion. Then would the 
Trojans have retreated with loss from the ships and tents 

725 to lofty Ilium, had not Polydamas, standing near, addressed 
the brave Hector : 

Ci Hector, art thou incapable of yielding 4 to advice ? 
Because God hath given thee, above others, warlike deeds 5 , 
for that reason dost thou also desire to be more skilled 
than others in council ? But thou canst not by any means 

730 thyself obtain all things at once. For to one has God 
given the deeds of war ; and to another dancing ; and to 
another the harp and singing ; and in another, again, the 
far-sounding Jove implants a good understanding in his 

9 And the well-polished yoke alone between them keeps them apart. 

1 Upon him as to the knees. 

2 The well-twisted wool of a sheep. See 599 of this book. 

3 i. e. they were too much occupied in protecting themselves from the 
missiles of the enemy — they did not themselves attack. 

4 Or, there is no making thee yield, &c. 

5 i. e. has given thee strength and daring to perform. 



ILIAD XIII.— V. 734—764. 295 

bosom, and many men reap the advantage of it ; and it pre- 
serves eities ; and the possessor himself especially knows 
its value. And I will speak as appears to me to be best ; 735 
for the circle 6 of war burns round thee on all sides, and 
the brave Trojans, since they have crossed the rampart, 
some stand aloof with their arms, and others fight, the 
fewer against the more, scattered among the ships. But, 740 
retiring, do thou summon hither all the chiefs. And there 
may we better discuss the whole matter — whether we shall 
fall upon the many-benched ships, or if the deity give us 
power, return back, whilst we are safe, from the ships ; 
for indeed I fear lest the Achaeans will acquit their yester- 745 
day*s debt, since an hero, insatiable in war, still remains at 
the ships, who I think will certainly no longer abstain 
from battle/ 5 

Thus spake Polydamas, and the prudent advice pleased 
Hector. And immediately he leaped with his armour from 
his car to the ground, and, addressing him, spake these 750 
winged words : 

" Polydamas, retain thou here all the bravest, and I will 
go there 7 and encounter the battle. And I will come back 
again forthwith, when I have given proper orders to the 
troops," 

He said, and rushed on like to a snowy mountain 8 , 
shouting, and flew through the Trojans and allies. And ?55 
the others all crowded round the valour-loving Polydamas, 
son of Panthous, when they heard the shout of Hector. 
And he (Hector) ranged through the foremost combatants, 
seeking Deiphobus, and the might of prince Helenus, and 
Adamas, the son of Asias, and Asius, the son of Hyrtacus^ 760 
if he could any where find them. And them he found no 
longer unhurt, nor undestroyed ; for some now lay at the 
sterns of the ships of the Achaeans, having lost their fives 
by the hands of the Argives ; and others were within the 
rampart 9 , smitten from a distance, or wounded close at 

6 Crown. 7 i. e. to the left. See 675. 

8 Compare Virgil, J£n. xii. 701. 9 i. e. by the ships. 

12 



296 ILIAD XIII.— V. 765—791. 

765 hand. But quickly found he, on the left of the lamentable ' 
battle, noble Alexander, husband of the fair-haired Helen, 
encouraging his companions, and exhorting them to fight ; 
and, standing near, he addressed him with insulting 
words : 

" Accursed Paris, brave only in person, woman-mad, 

770 trickster, where are Deiphobus and the might of prince 
Helenus, and Adamas, the son of Asias, and Asius, the son 
of Hyrtacus? Where also is Othryoneus? Now lofty 
Ilium all perishes from its summit — now its fearful de- 
struction is sure." 

And to him in return, godlike Alexander said : " Hector, 
as thou art resolved 2 to blame me when blameless, / must 

775 speak. At other times I may have seemed to skulk from 
battle, but not now ; for neither did my mother bear me 
altogether unwarlike. For from the time thou didst stir 
up the battle of thy comrades at the ships, frOm that time, 
remaining here, have we engaged incessantly with the 

780 Danaans ; but those comrades are dead for whom thou 
inquirest. Deiphobus and the might of prince Helenus 
alone are withdrawn, both wounded in the hand with long 
spears ; but the son of Saturn has warded off their death. 
Lead on then now, wheresoever thy heart and soul urge 

785 thee ; and we will follow with determined minds, nor do I 
think that thou wilt be at all in want of valour, as far 
as our strength will admit 3 . But it is not possible, 
even for him who keenly desires it, to fight beyond his 
strength." 

So saying, the hero soothed the rage 4 of his brother. 
And onwards to the spot, where especially was the battle, 

790 and the contest, hastened 5 Cebriones, and good Poly- 
damas, Phalces, and Orthaeus, and godlike Polyphetes, 
and Palmys, and Ascanius and Morys, sons of Hippotion 

1 Causing tears. 2 Since it is thy mind to thee. 

3 As much strength as is present. 4 <ppeveg. 

5 Bav d' ifiev — ajxtyi re Kef3piovTjv, &c. sell. ot. Those about Cebriones set 
out to go — i. e. Cebriones and his troops, &c. 



ILIAD XIII.— V. 792—821. 297 

— who the morning before had come from fertile Ascania, 
to take their turn of service"; for Jove then urged them 
to tight. And they marched, like the blast of boisterous 795 
winds, which rushes down to the plain, urged by the 
thunder of father Jove, and mingles with the ocean in wild 
tumult ; and in it rise many boiling billows of the far- 
sounding sea, swollen, whitened with foam, first some, and 
then others after. So the Trojans, first some, in battle 800 
array 7 , and then others glittering in brass, followed along 
with their leaders. And Hector, the son of Priam, equal 
to man-slaying Mars, led the van, and held before him a 
shield, on all sides equal, thick with hides ; and much 
brass was laid over them : and round his temples his 805 
refulgent helmet nodded. Stepping forward, he tried the 
phalanxes around on every side, if perchance they would 
give way to him, advancing under cover of his shield. Yet 
he disturbed not the courage of the Achaeans in their 
breasts : and Ajax, advancing with long strides first chal- 
lenged him : 

"Come nearer, friend; why frightenest 8 thou the Ar- 810 
gives thus ? Not unskilful in battle are we Achaeans — 
but we are subdued by the evil scourge of Jove. Thy soul 
hopes, without doubt, to plunder the ships ; but we too 
have hands to repulse thee speedily 9 . And long before l 
shall your well inhabited city be taken by our hands and 815 
destroyed. And to thee thyself I say, the time is near, 
when flying, thou shalt pray to father Jove and the other 
immortals, to have 2 beautiful horses, swifter than hawks, 
which shall bear thee to the city, raising up the dust on 820 
the plain." 

Whilst he was thus speaking, a bird flew over on the 
right — a lofty-flying eagle; and at it the people of the 

6 a/xoifioi — successors — reliefs. The length of the war, it may be sup- 
posed, had made such an arrangement expedient for the allies. 

7 i. e. apr}poreg — i. e. in compact bodies. 

8 i. e. triest to do so. 

9 To us also there are hands immediately to repulse thee. 

1 I c. before you take our ships. 2 That there be to tlbee, &c. 



298 ILIAD XIII.— V. 822—837. 

Achaeans shouted, encouraged by the omen. And the 
illustrious Hector replied : 

"O babbling and bull-headed 3 Ajax, what hast thou 

825 said? Would that I were as surely so for ever 4 a child of 
aegis-bearing Jove, and the imperial Juno had borne me, 
and that I were honoured as Minerva and Apollo are 
honoured, as that now this day certainly brings woe on all 
the Argives : and among them shalt thou be slain, if thou 
darest to abide my long spear, which shall tear for thee thy 

830 dainty person ; and thou shalt glut the dogs and birds of 
the Trojans with thy fat and flesh, falling beside the ships 
of the Achaeans. " 

Thus then having spoken, he led on : and they followed 
along with him with a mighty shout, and the troops like- 
wise shouted in the rear. And the Argives, on the other 

835 side, raised a shout, nor were forgetful of their valour, but 
awaited the bravest of the advancing Trojans. And the 
cry of both reached to the heavens, and to the splendours 
of Jove. 



3 fiovyau — bull of the earth — brute — the epithet, doubtless, is levelled 
at the bulk, and implied stupidity of the hero. 4 All days. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER 



BOOK XIV. 



ARGUMENT. 



Agamemnon and the other wounded chiefs, taking Nestor with them, visit 
the battle. Juno, having borrowed the Cestus of Venus, first engages 
the assistance of Sleep, then hastes to Ida to inveigle Jove. She pre- 
vails. Jove sleeps ; and Neptune takes that opportunity to succour the 
Grecians. 

And the shouting escaped not entirely the observation of 
Nestor, although drinking ; but he addressed these winged 
words to the son of Esculapius : ee Think, noble Machaon, 
how these things will be l ; greater certainly grows the 
shouting of the vigorous youth at the ships. But sit thou 
here now, and drink 2 the dark wine, until the fair-haired 5 
Hecamede has heated the warm baths, and washed away 
thy bloody gore; and I, going with speed to a watch 
tower, will gather information *" 

So saying, he took the well-made shield of his own son 
Thrasymedes, tamer of horses, which was lying in the 10 
tent, shining with brass — for Thrasymedes had his father's 
shield — and seized a strong spear, pointed with sharp 

1 i. e. what is, or is going to be the matter. 2 Sitting, drink. 

3 i. e. and going to some look-out (some open or elevated spot), I will 
soon learn the cause. 



300 ILIAD XIV.— V. 13—42. 

brass ; and stood without the tent, and soon beheld a 
shocking work — the Achaeans in confusion, and the inso- 
15 lent Trojans routing them in their rear; and the rampart 
of the Achaeans beaten down. And as when the vast sea 
with silent wave is perturbed — foreboding thus the rapid 
courses 4 of shrill winds — and rolls neither one way nor 
the other, before some decisive blast comes down from 

20 Jove ; so meditated the old man, distracted in his mind 
between two opinions — whether he should go to the 
throng of Danaans, possessed of fleet horses, or towards 
Agamemnon, son of Atreus, shepherd of people. And 
to him, thus reflecting, it appeared to be preferable 
to proceed in search of the son of Atreus. And the 

25 armies meanwhile slaughtered each other, maintaining 
the fight 5 ; and the solid 6 brass around their bodies rang, 
as they were smitten 7 with swords and double-pointed 
spears. 

And the royal chiefs, as many as had been wounded 
with the brass, Tydides, and Ulysses, and Agamemnon, the 
son of Atreus, met Nestor coming up from their ships. 

30 For very far away from the battle were their ships drawn 
up upon the shore of the hoary deep ; for they had drag- 
ged up the first 8 ships towards the plain, and had built 
the rampart at their sterns. For, wide as it was, the shore 
was by no means able to contain their vessels 9 ; and the 

35 people were crowded. Wherefore they dragged them up 
in rows x , and filled the wide mouth of the whole shore, as 
much as the promontories enclosed. There then were they 
walking together, leaning upon the spear, for the purpose 
of beholding the tumult and the battle ; and their heart in 
their bosoms was grieved. And the aged Nestor met them, 

40 and alarmed the hearts in the breasts of the Achaeans : and 
him first king Agamemnon addressing, said : 

"O Nelei'an Nestor, great glory of the Achaeans, why 

4 Ways. 5 Fighting. 6 Unsubdued. 

7 Of them struck , s i. e. the first line. 

9 l. e. all in one line. x TrpoKpoGaaQ — in lines one behind the other. 



ILIAD XIV.— V. 43—74. 301 

comest thou hither, leaving the murderous battle ? I fear 
lest the impetuous Hector has at last made good his speech, 
as once he threatened, while haranguing among the Tro- 45 
jans, that he would not return to Ilium from the ships, 
before he had lighted the barks with fire, and slain ourselves 
also — so he harangued, and now at last all will be fulfilled. 
Ye gods, surely the other well-greaved Achaeans, as well as 
Achilles, lay up wrath against me in their souls ; and will 50 
not fight at the stern of the ships/' 

And him the Gerenian chief, Nestor, answered : " Truly 
these things are done 2 , nor can even the high-thundering 
Jupiter himself contrive them otherwise ; for the wall, in 
which we trusted that it would be an impregnable defence 55 
to the ships and to ourselves, has now fallen. And they 
wage a furious battle at the swift ships incessantly ; nor 
can you any longer distinguish, though closely examining, 
in what quarter the Achaeans, confounded, are most routed 
— so pell-mell are they slain, and the shout reaches the 60 
heaven. Let us however deliberate what must be done 3 , 
if counsel can do aught; but I do not advise that we 
enter the battle ; for it is not practicable for the wounded 
to fight." 

And to him, in reply, said Agamemnon, king of men : 
" Nestor, since they are combating at the sterns of the 65 
ships, and the rampart constructed avails not aught, nor 
the ditch at which the Danaans toiled much, and hoped 
in their minds that it would be an impregnable defence to 
the ships and to themselves — so seems it to be agreeable 
to all-powerful Jove, that the Achaeans perish here inglo- 70 
rious, far from Argos. For I knew 4 , when he willingly 
gave assistance to the Danaans ; and now I know that he, 
together with the blessed gods, glorifies the Trojans, and 
shackles our courage and hands. Come then, let us all be 



2 These things are ready done -i. e. they are done and cannot be undone. 

3 How these matters shall be. 

* i.e. I was conscious of it — I was fully convinced by certain signs of 
the will of the gods. 



302 ILIAD XIV.— V. 75—104. 

persuaded to do, as I shall advise. Let us drag away the 

75 ships, as many as are drawn up first near the sea, and 
launch them all into the vast ocean. Let us moor them 
to anchors in the deep, till the still night arrive, if even in 
it the Trojans abstain from battle, and then we will drag 

80 out all the vessels ; for there is no disgrace in flying from 
evil, not even in the night. It is better for a man to escape 
evil, flying from it, than be taken." 

And him then wise Ulysses, looking sternly, addressed : 
" Son of Atreus, what speech is this which has escaped the 
barrier of thy teeth ? Dastard 5 , would that thou didst 

85 command some other worthless army, and ruled not us, 
to whom Jove has given, from youth even to old age 6 , to 
accomplish toilsome wars until we each of us perish. Dost 
thou then so desire to abandon well-streeted Troy, on ac- 

90 count of which we have endured many woes ? Be silent 
lest some other of the Achaeans hear a speech, which 
no man ought to have uttered 7 , — no owe who understands 8 
in his mind how to give sound advice 9 , who is a prince l , 
and whom so many people obey, as thou dost govern 

95 among the Argives. For now do I reprobate thy judg- 
ment in what thou hast said, who commandest us, whilst 
the war and battle are raging 2 , to drag the well-benched 
ships to sea, in order that their wishes may be still 
better fulfilled to the Trojans, victorious though they 
be, and dire destruction fall upon us; for the Achaeans 
100 will not maintain the fight, if the ships are dragged 
down to the sea, but will look back 3 and shrink from 
combat. Then will thy plan be injurious, O prince of the 
people." 

And him answered then Agamemnon, the king of men : 
" Ulysses, thou hast cut 4 me to the soul with thy severe 



5 Lost — worthy to be lost. 6 i. e. through life. 

7 Brought through his mouth. 8 i. e. who is in his senses. 
9 To speak wise things. x A sceptre-bearer. 

2 The war and shout being made to stand together — being joined. 

8 i. e. for the means of refuge. 4 Reached. 



ILIAD XIV.— V. 105—132. 

reproof; yet I bade not the sons of the Achaeans, against 105 
their will, drag down the well-benched ships to the sea. 
And I wish there were any one, either young or old, who 
would suggest a better plan than this ; I should be delighted 
with him 5 ." 

And the gallant Diomedes spake also among them : 
u Near is the man — we shall not seek long for him, if ye 110 
will be advised. And be none of you offended 6 , because I 
icho thus speak am in age the youngest amongst you ; for I 
also boast to be by birth of a noble father, Tydeus, whom 
the piled-up earth covers at Thebes. For to Portheus 
were born three distinguished sons, and they dwelt in H5 
Pleuron and the lofty Calydon — Agrius, and Melas, and 
the third was noble 7 OEneus, the father of my father ; and 
he was conspicuous among them for valour. He indeed 
remained there in the same spot ; but my father, roaming 8 , 
dwelt at Argos, for so Jove doubtless willed, and the other 120 
gods. And he married one of the daughters of Adrastus, 
and he inhabited a mansion abounding in opulence 9 ; for 
numerous corn-fields were his \ and there were many or- 
chards of trees around him, and his flocks were numerous. 
And he surpassed the Achaeans in the use of the spear ; but 
these things ye must yourselves have heard to be true. 125 
Therefore do not, regarding me by birth worthless and 
impotent, treat with contempt the sentiments publicly ex- 
pressed, which I shall utter with good intention 2 . Come, 
then, let us go the battle, wounded as we are, since neces- 
sity urges 3 . There then let us ourselves abstain from 
combat, out of the reach of weapons, lest any one receive 130 
wound upon wound ; but, by encouraging, we will excite 

5 To me glad would lie (or it) be — i. e. he would be welcome. 
c Do not each of you at all regard with anger, &c. 

7 'nntoTa — horseman — a knight — a chief — as distinguished from the 
canaille. 

8 i. e. was an exile, on account of some homicide. 

9 Means of life. 

1 And there were corn-producing fields in abundance to him. 

2 Which 1 shall speak well. 3 From necessity. 



304 ILIAD XIV.— V. 133—159. 

others, who before,, indulging themselves *, stood apart, and 
did not fight." 

Thus he spake : and they all listened readily, and obeyed. 
And they hastened onward 5 , and the king of men, Aga- 
memnon, led them. 

135 Nor was the illustrious shaker of the earth an inattentive 
spectator 6 , but went amongst them in the semblance of an 
aged man, and caught the right hand of Agamemnon, the 
son of Atreus, and, speaking these winged words, addressed 
him: 

" Son of Atreus, now doubtless the revengeful heart of 

140 Achilles rejoices in his breast, beholding the slaughter and 
rout of the Achaeans; for there is no common sense, in 
him, not the smallest. May he, however, thus perish, 
and may a God cover him with disgrace. For the blessed 
Gods are not yet altogether enraged with thee ; but again 
the leaders and chiefs of the Trojans will doubtless 

145 raise the dust upon the wide plain, and thou shalt behold 
them flying towards the city from the ships and the 
tents." 

So saying, he shouted aloud, rushing over the plain. 
As loud as shout nine or ten thousand men, beginning 

150 the contest of Mars ; so loud a cry did king Neptune 
send from his breast ; and infused great vigour into every 
heart among the Achaeans, to war and to fight without 
ceasing. 

And Juno of the golden throne, standing, looked with 
her eyes from the summit of Olympus, and immediately 

155 recognised her own brother, who ivas also her husbands 
brother, exerting himself in the glorious battle, and she 
rejoiced in her soul. Jupiter also she beheld, sitting upon 
the highest top of Ida, of many rills, and he was hateful 
to her soul. And then large-eyed, imperial Juno, consi- 



i Bring gratification to their minds. 
5 Nor had he — or kept a had look-out. 

c i. e. because he does not see, that he must be involved in the common 
ruin. 



ILIAD XIV.— V. lG 1—192. 305 

dered how she could beguile the mind of aegis-bearing 
Jove ; . And this plan appeared best to her mind — setting 
herself orf to the best advantage, to go to Ida, in order 
that he might desire for love to sleep beside her own per- 
son, and she might infuse into his limbs and vigilant mind 
careless and easy sleep. And she hastened to the cham- 165 
ber, which Vulcan, her dear son, had made for her, and 
had fitted the doors close to their frames by a mysterious 
lock ; for it no other god 8 could open. There entering 
in, she closed the shining doors. And first with ambrosia 
she washed all impurities from her lovely person, and 170 
bathed herself with rich oil, ambrosial, diffusive, that which 
was her perfume 9 ; and the odour of it, though shaken in 
the brass-paved mansion of Jove, reached even to earth 
and to heaven. With this then having bathed her beautiful 
person, and combed her hair, with her hands she wreathed 175 
her curls, bright, beautiful, ambrosial, which fell from her 
immortal head. And next she threw round her an am- 
brosial robe, which Minerva, adorning, had prepared for 
her, and put in it many embroideries ; and she fastened it 
upon her bosom with golden clasps. And she girded her- 180 
self with a zone, adorned with an hundred fringes, and in 
her well-perforated ears she put her triple-gemmed, beau- 
tiful pendants, and much grace shone from her. And 
above, the most august of the goddesses covered herself 
with a veil, beautiful and newly made, and it was white as 185 
the sun ; and under her shining feet she fastened her ele- 
gant sandals. And when she had arranged all her orna- 
ments around her person, she proceeded straight from the 
chamber; and having called Venus apart from the other 
divinities, she addressed to her this speech : 

" Wilt thou now be at all persuaded by me, dear child, 190 
to do what I say ? Or wilt thou refuse, being angry in 
thy mind at this, that I assist the Danaans, and thou the 
Trojans?" 

7 And so divert his attention from the battle. s i. e. than Juno. 

to TiSvwfjievup. 



306 ILIAD XIV.— V. 193—224. 

And her answered then Venus, the daughter of Jove : 

195 " Juno, imperial goddess, daughter of mighty Saturn, 
speak thy wish 1 ; for my soul bids me accomplish it, if 
I at least can accomplish it, and if it be accomplish- 
able." 

And imperial Juno, meditating guiles, addressed her: 
" Give me now that loveliness and desirableness with 
which thou subduest all the immortals, as well as mortal 
men : for I am going to visit the boundaries of the fertile 

200 earth, and Oceanus, parent of gods, and Tethys, my 
mother 2 , who nursed and brought me up with care in their 
abodes, receiving me from Rhea, what time far-sounding 
Jove cast down Saturn beneath the earth and the unfruitful 

205 sea. These I am going to visit, and I will put an end to 
their eternal quarrels. For now have they abstained a 
length of time from the bed and embrace of each other, 
because anger has fallen upon their minds. And if, per- 
suading their hearts with my words, I should lead them 
back to the bed, to be united again in love, then shall I 

210 always be called by them beloved and respected." 

And her again the smiling Venus addressed: " It is not 
possible, nor is it seemly to refuse thy request, for thou 
reclinest in the arms of Jove, the Omnipotent/ 5 

She said, and loosed from her bosom the embroidered, 

215 variegated zone; and there in it were all blandishments. 
There in it were love, and desire, and the soft converse, 
and the seduction, which steals away the senses even of 
the prudent. This then she placed in her hands, and spoke, 
and addressed her by name : 

" Take this — put now this variegated zone, in which all 

220 things are contained, in thy bosom ; and I think that thou 
wilt not return without effecting whatever thou desirest 
in thy mind." 

Thus she spake, and large-eyed, imperial Juno smiled, 
and, smiling, then put it in her bosom. Venus, the 



1 What thou thinkest. 



ILIAD XIV.— V. 225—258. 307 

daughter of Jove, then departed to his mansion; and Juno, 225 
hastening, quitted the brow of Olympus; and, having 
passed over Pieria and fertile Emathia, swept over the 
snowy mountains of the equestrian Thracians, very lofty 
ridges, nor touched 3 the ground with her feet. And from 
Athos she passed over the foaming deep, and reached 230 
Leinnos, city of divine Thoas, where she met with Sleep, 
the brother of Death ; and grasped his hand, and addressed 
him, and called him by name : 

" O Sleep, lord * of all gods and all men, if ever thou 
didst hear my in treaty, be now also again persuaded ; and 235 
I shall be for ever obliged to thee 5 . Close in sleep for me 
the bright eyes of Jove under his eye-lids, instantly after 
I recline with him in love ; and I will give thee a gift — a 
handsome throne, ever incorruptible, golden. And my 
limping son, Vulcan, shall make it, adorning it, and he shall 240 
place below thy feet a foot-stool, upon which thou mayest 
rest thy resplendent feet when feasting." 

And to her, sweet Sleep, answering, said : ie Juno, 
august goddess, daughter of mighty Saturn, any other of 
the everlasting gods I would readily lull to sleep, and even 245 
the streams of Ocean-river, who is the parent of all ; but I 
cannot come near to Jove, son of Saturn, nor lull him to 
sleep, unless he himself command me. For once before 
he gave me a lesson by his threats, on that day when that 
brave son of Jove 6 sailed from Ilium, after plundering the 250 
city of the Trojans. Then I lulled the mind of aegis-bear- 
ing Jove, diffused sweetly around him ; for thou didst plan 
mischief against him 7 in thy mind, rousing the blasts of 
tempestuous winds over the deep, and didst then carry 
him away apart from all his friends to the well-inhabited 255 
Cos. But Jove, on waking, was enraged, dashing about the 
gods throughout the mansion, and me chiefly he sought of 
all, and would have cast me down, out of sight, from the 
aether into the deep, had not Night, vanquisher of gods 

3 Caught. 4 ava%. 

5 Have gratitude to thee all days. 6 Hercules. 7 Hercules. 

x 2 



308 ILIAD XIV.-— V. 259—289. 

and of men, preserved me. To her I went fleeing for 

260 refuge ; and he restrained himself, angry as he was ; for 
he scrupled 8 to do things which were disagreeable to swift 
Night. And now again thou urgest me to accomplish this 
other desperate deed." 

And to him again large-eyed, imperial Juno spoke : " O 
Sleep, why thinkest thou these things in thy mind? 

265 Supposest thou that the far-sounding Jove so favours 
the Trojans, as he was enraged on account of Hercules, 
his own son? Come then, oblige me 3 and I will give 
thee one of the younger Graces to wed, and to be called 
thy spouse — Pasithea, whom day after day 9 thou ever 
desirest." 

270 Thus she spake ; and Sleep was delighted, and, answer- 
ing, said to her : " Well, swear to me now by the inviolable 
water of the Styx, and touch with one hand the fertile 
^arth, and with the other the marble sea — so that all the 
gods beneath, which are * around Saturn, may be witnesses 

275 between us that thou wilt give me one of the younger 
Graces — Pasithea, whom I myself for ever desire." 

Thus he spake, nor did the white-armed goddess Juno 
refuse, but swore as he bade her, and named all gods who 
dwell under Tartarus, whiclr are called Titanes. And 

280 when she had sworn, and completed her oath, they both 
proceeded, leaving the city of Lemnos and Imbrus, mantled 
in a cloud, quickly making their way ; and came to Ida of 
many streams, the mother of wild beasts, to Lectos 2 , where 
first they quitted the sea : and they both advanced over 

285 the land, and the tops of the forests were shaken beneath 
their feet. There Sleep indeed remained, before the eyes 
of Jove should behold him; ascending a very lofty pine, 
which then growing the highest upon Ida, reached through 
the air to the clouds 3 . There he sat, closely covered with 



* L e. he had too much respect for her, &c. 

9 All days. 1 Being. 

2 The first point of Ida — forming a sea-promontory. 

' 4 To the a?ther. 



ILIAD XIV.— V. 290—322. 309 

the pine branches, like to a shrill bird in the mountains, 290 
which the gods call Chalcis, and men Cymindis. 

And Juno proceeded hastily to Gargarus, the summit of 
Lofty Ida ; and cloud-collecting Jove beheld her. And as 
soon as he saw her, desire took entire possession of 4 his 
grave senses, just as when first they were connected in 295 
love, frequenting the bed, without the knowledge of their 
fond parents. And he stood before her, addressed her, and 
called her by name : 

" Juno, w r herefore, hastening from Olympus, comest thou 
hither, and thy horses and car are not near, w-hich thou 
mayst mount ?" 

And him august Juno, meditating guiles, addressed: "I 300 
am going to visit the boundaries of the fertile earth, and 
Oceanus, parent of gods, and my mother Tethys, who 
nursed and brought me with care to their mansions. Them 
I am going to see, and will put an end to their eternal 
quarrels. For now have they long-abstained from the bed 305 
and embrace of each other, because anger has fallen upon 
their minds. And my steeds, which will bear me over 
wet and dry, stand near the foot of Ida of many streams. 
Now, however, on thy account have I come hither from 
Olympus, lest perchance thou might afterwards be angry 310 
with me, were I to go in silence to the abode of deep- 
flowing Oceanus." 

And her, the cloud-collecting Jove answering, addressed : 
" Juno, thou canst go thither by and by ; but come, let 
us recline, and indulge in love ; for never thus did the love 315 
of goddess or of woman, diffused through my breast, so 
subdue me : neither when I loved the wife 5 of Ixion, who 
was the mother of Pirithous, a chief equal to gods ; nor 
when / loved beautiful-footed Danae, daughter of Acrisius, 
who bore Perseus, the most illustrious of all men ; nor 320 
when I loved the far-famed daughter 6 of Phoenix, who 
bore to me Minos and the godlike Rhadamanthus ; nor yet 



4 Covered round. '" Dia. r ' Europa, 



310 ILIAD XIV.— V. 323—357. 

even when / loved Semele, nor Alcmena in Thebes — she 
325 who brought forth my valiant son, Hercules — and Semele 
bore me Bacchus, the joy of mortals ; nor when / loved 
Ceres, the beautiful-haired queen : nor when the glorious 
Latona — nor thee thj^self — as now I love thee, and sweet 
desire seizes me." 

But imperial Juno, meditating guiles, said to him : " O 
330 horrid son of Saturn, what words hast thou spoken ? If 
now thou desirest to recline in love upon the tops of Ida, 
and every thing is visible, — how will it be, if any of the 
eternal gods should see us sleeping, and, going amongst 
all the gods, should tell it ? I indeed could not return to 
335 thy mansion, rising from the couch ; for it would be quite 
unseemly. But if in truth thou wishest it, and it be agree- 
able to thy soul, there is thy chamber, which Vulcan, thy 
beloved son, formed for thee, and fitted its door close to its 
340 frame. Thither let us go and recline, since an embrace is 
thy pleasure." 

And to her, cloud-collecting Jove answering, said : 

" Fear not, O Juno, that any, either of gods or of men, 

shall behold this — with such a golden cloud will I cover us 

345 round — not even the sun shall see us through it, whose 

eye 7 is the sharpest to see/' 

Thus spake the son of Saturn ; and he caught his wife 
in his arms. And the divine earth produced fresh herbage 
under them, the dewy lotus, and the crocus, and the hya- 
cinth, clustering and soft, which kept them high from the 
350 earth. Upon this couch they reclined, and clothed them- 
selves above with a beautiful golden cloud; and radiant 
dew-drops fell from it. 

Thus quietly slumbered the father upon the summit of 
Gargarus, subdued by sleep and love, and held his spouse 
in his arms. And sweet Sleep made haste to run to the 
355 ships of the Achaeans, to deliver 8 a message to Neptune, 
shaker of the earth. And, standing near, he spake to him 
these winged words : 

7 Light. 8 Delivering. 



[LAID XIV.— V. 358—387. 311 

u \o\v, Neptune, with good-will give assistance to the 
Danaans, and bestow glory upon them, at least for a little, 
whilst yet Jove sleeps; for I have covered him around with 
soft slumber, and Juno has seduced him to recline with 360 
her in love." 

So saying, he departed to the noble tribes of men, and 
Neptune he still more impelled to assist the Danaans ; and 
immediately springing forward far among the foremost, 
Neptune exhorted them : 

u Argives, again then yield we the victory to Hector, 
son of Priam, that he may seize the ships, and gain glory ? 365 
He indeed thinks so, and boasts, because Achilles remains 
at the hollow ships, enraged in his heart. But of him 
there will not be great want, if the rest of us be prompt 
to assist one another. Come then, let us all be persuaded 
to do as I advise. Putting on 9 our shields — as many as 370 
are the best and largest in the army — and covering our 
heads with glittering helmets, and taking the longest 
spears in our hands, let us advance ; and I will lead the 
way, nor do I think that Hector, son of Priam, will await 
us, very impetuous though he be. Whatever man is 375 
vigorous in fight, and has a small shield upon his shoul- 
der, let him give it to an inferior man, and himself put on 
the larger shield." 

Thus he spake ; and they listened to him readily, and 
obeyed. And the kings themselves, Tydides, and Ulysses, 380 
and Agamemnon, son of Atreus, wounded as they were, 
marshalled the troops ; and, going about among them all, 
changed their martial weapons — the brave man took l good 
arms, and to the worse they gave the worse. And when 
they had girded the splendid brass around their bodies, 
they bestirred to advance; and Neptune, the shaker of 385 
the earth, led them on, grasping in his firm hand a dread- 
ful, long-edged sword, resembling a thunderbolt : and with 



9 The shield was suspended by a belt thrown over the shoulder. 
1 Put on. 



312 ILIAD XIV.— V. 388—418. 

him can none engage in destructive battle, and terror re- 
strains the heroes. 

On the other side again the illustrious Hector drew up 

390 the Trojans. Then truly the cerulean -haired Neptune and 
illustrious Hector excited 2 the severest struggle of war, 
the one assisting the Trojans, and the other the Argives. 
And the sea was dashed up to the tents and ships of the 
Argives ; and they engaged with a mighty shout. Nor so 
loud does the wave of the ocean bellow against the land, 

395 driven from the deep by the rough blast of Boreas ; nor so 
great is the roar of blazing fire in the glens of a mountain, 
when it is raised to consume the forest ; nor so loud howls 
the wind amidst high-branched oaks, (which, when parti- 

400 cularly violent, roars loudest there,) as was the cry of the 
Trojans and Achaeans, shouting awfully, when they rushed 
one upon the other. 

And the illustrious Hector first threw with his spear at 
Ajax, as he was turned right towards hiin, and hit him 3 
there, where the two belts were extended across his breast, 

405 both that of the shield, and that of the silver-hilted sword. 
These protected his soft skin : and Hector was enraged 
that his swift weapon had flown in vain from his hand ; 
and he retired back upon the column of his comrades, 
avoiding death. At him then departing, the mighty Tela- 
monian Ajax with a stone — which stones in great num- 

410bers, as props of the swift ships,, rolled about among the 
feet of the combatants — one of these lifting up, he struck 
him with it upon the breast, above the orb of the shield, 
near the neck. And, throwing, he whirled it like a top 4 , 
and it spun round all the way. And as when^ beneath the 

415 stroke of father Jove, an oak falls uprooted, and a terrible 
smell of sulphur arises from it ; and confidence 5 no longer 
possesses the man, whosoever, being near, beholds it, for 
the thunderbolt of mighty Jove is awful : so rapidly upon 

2 Tavva-av — stretched — L e. irupap epidog, the rope of battle. Compare 
A. 336, and N. 359. 3 Nor missed. 

1 Perhaps, a quoit. 5 i. e, hut fear does. 



ILIAD XIV.— V. 419—449. 313 

the ground dropt the might of Hector in the dust; and 
the spear fell from his hand, and his shield followed on 
him, and his helmet ; and his armour, variegated with 420 
brass, rung about him. Then the sons of the Achaeans, 
loudly shouting, rushed in, hoping to drag him off, and 
hurled numerous javelins ; but no one was able either to 
strike from a distance, or to smite close at hand the shep- 
herd of people, for the bravest warriors, Polydamas, and 425 
.Eneas, and the noble Agenor, and Sarpedon, leader of the 
Lvcians, and the good Glaucus, first threw themselves 
round him. And no one of the rest neglected him, but 
held their well-orbed shields before him. And his com- 
rades then, raising him in their hands, bore him out of the 
battle 6 , till he reached his fleet horses, which stood for 430 
him in rear of the combat and the war, with both the 
driver and variegated car ; and they carried him, groaning 
heavily, towards the city. 

But when now they came to the ford 7 of the fair-flowing 
river of eddying Xanthus, whom immortal Jove begot, there 
they removed him from his car to the ground, and poured 435 
water over him ; and he breathed again, and looked up 
with his eyes ; and, resting upon his knees, threw up some 
black blood. And again he fell back 8 upon the ground, 
and dark night covered his eyes ; for the blow still subdued 
his spirit. 

And the Argives, when they beheld Hector departing 9 , 440 
pressed more upon the Trojans, and were mindful of 
battle. Then by far the first swift Oi'lean Ajax, leap- 
ing forward with his sharp spear, wounded Satnius, son of 
Enops, whom a Naid, a noble nymph, bore to Enops, when 
keeping his herds by the banks of Satnioeis. Him the 445 
spear-skilled son of Oileus, drawing near, wounded in the 
flank ; and he fell supine, and round him the Trojans and 
Danaans raised a sharp conflict. And against him (Ajax) 



6 Toil. ? The crossing. 

8 And again backward he was on the ground. 
,J Going apart — i. e. from the troops. 



314 . ILIAD XIV.— V. 450—478. 

450 came spear-shaking Polydamas, son of Panthous, an 
avenger, and smote Prothoenor, son of Areilochus, upon 
the right shoulder. And he drove the impetuous spear 
through his shoulder ; and, falling in the dust, Prothoenor 
grasped the earth with his hand. Then Polydamas boasted 
mightily over him, shouting aloud : 

u Again, I think, the weapon has not sprung in vain 

455 from the strong hand of the brave son of Panthous, but 

one of the Argives has received it in his body ; and I 

think that he, leaning upon it, will descend to the mansion 

of Hades." 

Thus he spake, and there was grief among the Argives 
at his boast l ; and particularly did it shake the soul of the 
460 warlike Ajax, son of Telamon, for he had fallen very near 
to him : and forthwith he hurled at him as he departed. 
Polydamas himself, however, avoided black fate, springing 
aside; but Archilochus, son of Antenor, received the 
stroke, for to him the gods had doomed destruction. 
465 Him then he struck upon the last vertebra, in the join- 
ing of the head and neck, and dissevered both tendons ; 
and the head, and the mouth, and the nostrils of him, 
falling, met the ground much sooner than his legs and 
knees 2 . Then Ajax in turn cried out to the noble Po- 
lydamas : 
470 " Consider, Polydamas, and tell me true : is not this man 
worthy to be slain in exchange for Prothoenor 3 : he ap- 
pears not to me to be a base person, nor sprung from base 
parents, but to be a brother, or a son of Antenor, tamer of 
horses, for he seems most like his race \" 
475 Thus he spake, well knowing him : and grief seized 
the spirits of the Trojans. Then Acamas, stalking around 
his brother 5 , wounded with his spear Promachus, the 
Boeotian, whilst he was dragging off Archilochus by the 



1 He boasting. 2 i. e. he fell headlong. 

3 i. e. is he not a fair equivalent for Prothoenor ? 

4 I. e. there is a great family likeness. 

5 i. e. to protect the body. 



ILIAD XIV.— V. 479—507. 315 

feet. And Aromas boasted mightily over him, shouting 
aloud : 

•• Ye Arrives, archers, insatiable of threats, assuredly 
not to us alone will there be toil and sorrow, but thus ye 480 
also shall sometimes be slain. Mark how your Promachus 
sleeps, subdued by my spear, that the vengeance of my 
brother might not be long unpaid. Therefore shall every 
man wish a brother to be left in his family, an avenger of 485 
his death 6 . 

Thus he spake ; and there was grief in the Argives at 
his boast : and it particularly shook the feelings of the 
warlike Peneleus. And he rushed upon Acamas ; but he 
awaited not the charge of king Peneleus ; and he wounded 
Ilioneus, son of Phorbas, rich in cattle, whom Mercury 490 
most loved of the Trojans, and presented with posses- 
sions ; and to him did the mother bear Ilioneus alone 7 . 
Him he then wounded below the brow, at the roots of the 
eye, and forced out the ball ; and the spear went forward 
through the eye, and through the hinder part of the head ; 
and he sunk down, extending both his hands. And 495 
Peneleus, drawing his sharp sword, smote him upon the 
middle of the neck, and struck off his head with its helmet 
to the ground ; and the strong spear was still in the eye. 
And he spake, lifting the head, like the head of a poppy, 500 
and addressed the Trojans, and, boasting, uttered this 
speech : 

" Report for me, ye Trojans, to the beloved father and 
mother of the illustrious Ilioneus, that they may lament him 
in their halls ; for neither will the wife of Promachus 8 , the 
son of Alegenor, be delighted with her dear lord, coming 
back, when we sons of the Achaeans return from Troy with 505 
our ships/ 5 

Thus he spake ; and pallid fear seized upon them all, 



c Ap?jc.— See N. 444. 

7 i. e. Ilioneus's mother — he was her only child by Mercury. 

8 i. e. the death of Promachus was avenged by that of Ilioneus. Th 
relatives of both parties will alike have to lament. 



316 ILIAD XIV.— V. 508—522. 

and each gazed about, seeking where he might escape dire 
destruction. 

Tell me now, ye Muses, possessing Olympian man- 

510 sions, which of the Achaeans now first bore away bloody 
spoils 9 , when the illustrious shaker of the earth turned the 
battle \ 

Telamonian Ajax first wounded Hyrtius, son of Gyrtias, 
leader of the undaunted Mysians. And Antilochus stript 
the armour off Phalces and Mermerus. And Meriones 
slew Morys and Hippotion. And Teucer slew Prothoon 

515 and Periphetes. And next the son of Atreus wounded 
upon the flank Hyperenor, shepherd of people, and the 
spear, cutting its way 2 , let out his entrails ; and his soul 
flew, expelled, through the inflicted wound, and darkness 

520 covered his eyes. And Ajax, the swift son of Oileus, slew 
the most ; for there was not any equal to him for speed, 
to press upon the flying men, when Jove sent rout amongst 
them 3 . 

9 The spoils of a man. 1 i. e. made the Trojans give way. 

2 Laying waste. 

3 To pursue on foot, while men are in a fright, when Jove sends flight 
among them. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER, 



BOOK XV. 



ARGUMENT. 



Jove awaking, and seeing the Trojans routed, threatens Juno. He sends 
Iris to admonish Neptuue to relinquish the battle, and Apollo to restore 
health to Hector. Apollo, armed with the aegis, puts to flight the Gre- 
cians ; they are pursued home to their fleet, and Telamonian Ajax slays 
twelve Trojans bringing fire to burn it. 

But when the fugitives 1 had passed over the palisades and 
the ditch, and many were subdued by the hands of the 
Danaans, the rest were at last checked, halting beside the 
cars, pale through fear, and terrified. And Jupiter awoke 
on the tops of Ida, beside Juno of the golden throne ; and 5 
starting up he stood, and beheld the Trojans and Achaeans, 
the former in confusion, and the Argives routing them from 
behind ; and with them king Neptune. And Hector he 
saw lying upon the plain, and his comrades sat round him, 
and he was oppressed with difficult breathing, faint at heart, 10 
awe? vomiting blood, for not the feeblest of the Achaeans 
had wounded him. And the father of men and gods, 
beholding, pitied him : and, looking awfully and sternly 
at Juno, addressed to her this speech : 

1 <f>tvyovTt£. 



318 ILIAD XV.— V. 14—41. 

ce Doubtless this is thy mischievous treachery, artful 
15 Juno, that has caused the noble Hector to cease from bat- 
tle, and routed his troops. Truly I know not, whether 
thou shouldst not first again reap the fruits of thy per- 
nicious machinations, and I chastise thee with stripes. 
What, rememberest thou not when thou wert suspended 
on high, and I hung two anvils on thy feet, and bound 

20 round thy hands a golden chain, insoluble ? And thou 
wast suspended in the air and clouds, and the gods were 
indignant in lofty Olympus, but were unable to loose thee, 
though attempting it 2 : and whom 3 I laid hold of, seizing 4 , 
I hurled from the threshold of heaven, till he reached the 

25 earth, scarcely breathing. Nor even thus did the enduring 
pang leave my soul for the divine Hercules ; whom thou, 
prevailing upon the storms, with the help of the north 
wind, didst send over the unfruitful sea, plotting mischief 
against him, and then didst bear him to well-inhabited 
Cos. From thence it was I rescued him, and brought him 

30 back again to Argos, feeder of horses, after conflicting with 
great toils. These things I again recall to thy memory, 
that thou mayst desist from thy tricks ; in order that thou 
mayst know whether love and the couch avail thee, in 
which, coming apart from the gods, thou wert mingled 
with me, and seduced me." 

Thus he spake ; and the large-eyed imperial Juno 

35 shuddered, and, addressing him, uttered these winged 
words : 

" Let the earth and the wide heaven above now know 
this, and the water of Styx gliding beneath, which is the 
greatest and most terrible oath among the blessed gods ; 
and let thy own sacred head know, and our own nuptial 

40 couch — and that I would never falsely invoke — that not 
through my impulse does Neptune, the shaker of the 



2 Literally — by placing themselves near — implying active efforts to rescue 
her. 

3 i. e. dost thou not remember, whom I, &c. 

4 i. e. by the leg — meaning Vulcan. Compare A. 521. 



ILIAD XV.— V. 42—7(3. 319 

earth, harass the Trojans and Hector, and assist the others. 
But him doubtless his own soul incites and urges ; and 
he felt compassion, beholding the Achaeans oppressed 
at the ships. Nevertheless even to him will I give 45 
advice, to go where thou, O cloud-collector, leadest the 
way V v 

Thus she spake ; and the father of men and gods smiled, 
and, replying, addressed to her these winged words : 

" If now thou wilt henceforth, O large-eyed imperial 
Juno, sit among the immortals thinking in unison 6 with 50 
me, then will Neptune, even if he wish otherwise, imme- 
diately change his mind according to thy will 7 and mine. 
If then thou now speakest really and truly, go at once to 
the companies of gods, and desire 8 Iris to come hither, 55 
and Apollo, famed for his bow, that she may go among 
the people of the brazen-mailed Achaeans, and tell king- 
Neptune, ceasing from battle, to repair to his own abodes ; 
and that Phoebus Apollo may rouse up Hector to battle, 
and breathe vigour into him again, and make him forget 60 
the pains which now wring his soul ; and again let him 
repel the Achaeans, stirring up base panic amongst them ; 
and let them rush to the many-benched ships of Achilles, 
the son of Peleus, flying for refuge. And he (Achilles) 
shall stir up his comrade Patroclus ; and him shall the 65 
illustrious Hector slay with his spear in front of Ilium, 
after he has cut off many other youths, and among them 
my son, noble Sarpedon ; and enraged on his account, the 
noble Achilles shall slay Hector. After that I will then 
effect a repulse for thee from the ships, utterly, till the 
Achaeans, by the counsels of Minerva, capture lofty Ilium. 70 
But, however, I will not cease from mine anger, nor will 
I here suffer any of the other immortals to aid the Danaans, 
until the desire of Pelides be completed ; as I at first pro- 75 
mised to him, and confirmed with my head, on that day 

5 I. e. to do nothing contrary to thy will. c Equally. 

7 Heart. » Call. 



12 



320 ILIAD XV.— V. 77—104. 

when the goddess Thetis touched my knees, intreating me 
to honour Achilles, destroyer of cities." 

Thus he spake ; nor did the white-armed goddess Juno 
disobey, but went from the Idaean mountains towards 

80 the lofty Olympus. And as when flashes 9 the mind of 
a man, who, having traversed over many a land, thinks 
within his prudent heart, <e I was here, or I was there," 
and considers of a multitude of things ; so quickly up 
flew the eager imperial Juno \ And she reached the 

85 high Olympus, and went in among the immortal gods, 
assembled together in the house of Jove ; and they see- 
ing her, all rose up, and welcomed her with their cups. 
The rest, however, she noticed not, but received a cup 
from the fair-cheeked Themis ; for she first came running 
to meet her, and, addressing her, had spoken these winged 
words : 

90 " Wherefore, O Juno, hast thou ascended, and art like 
one panic-struck ? Has the son of Saturn, who is thy hus- 
band, greatly alarmed thee ?" 

And to her the white-armed goddess Juno then replied : 
". Do not, O goddess Themis, ask me these things ; thou 

95 thyself also knowest how despotic and cruel a soul is his. 
But preside thou over the equal feast, among the gods, in 
their mansions ; and thou shalt hear these things, along 
with all the immortals, what evil deeds 2 Jupiter denounces. 
Nor do I at all think that he will equally give pleasure to 
the soul of all, either mortals or gods, although some feast 
even now with a light heart." 
100 The august Juno, having thus spoken, then sat down ; 
and the gods were offended 3 throughout the mansion oi 
Jove. And she smiled with her lips, although the forehead 
above her dark brows was not cheerful ; and, full of indig- 
nation, spake amongst them all : 



9 i. e. from thought to thought. 

1 L e. she flew as quick as thought. 2 tcivtcl — oia Kara epya. 

3 i. e. at the conduct of Jove. 



ILIAD XV.— V. 103—133. 321 

•* We are fools who thus madly 4 are enraged with Jove 105 
or still desire to restrain him, approaching near, either by 
words or by force ; whilst he, sitting apart, cares not, nor 
regards us ; for he knows that he is beyond compare the 
most mighty in strength and power among the immortal 
gods. Wherefore bear ye whatever evil he may send upon 
each of you; and now already, I fear, calamity has been 110 
levelled at Mars, for his son has perished in battle, the 
dearest to him of mortals, Ascalaphus, whom impetuous 
Mars calls his own." 

Thus she spake ; and Mars struck his strong thighs with 
his dropt hands, and grieving, addressed them : 

u Blame me not now, ye possessors of 5 the Olympian 115 
abodes, that I go to the ships of the Achaeans and avenge 
the slaughter of my son, even although it be my fate, 
struck with the thunderbolt of Jove, to lie together with 
the dead amidst blood and dust." 

Thus he spake, and commanded Terror and Horror to 
yoke his steeds ; and himself girded on his shining armour. 120 
Then indeed would some other more great and severe wrath 
and indignation from Jove have fallen 6 upon the immortals, 
had not Minerva, fearing for all the gods, sprung forth 
from the vestibule, and quitted her throne, where she 
sat. And from his head she snatched the helmet, and the 125 
shield from his shoulders, and taking the spear out of his 
strong hand, stuck it upright ; and arrested impetuous 
Mars with these words : 

u Madman ! fool ! thou art lost ; are thine ears in truth 
useless 7 for hearing, and is thy sense perished 8 , and thy 
shame? Hearest thou not what the white-armed goddess 130 
Juno says, who has herself just now come from Olympian 
Jove? Or dost thou wish thyself, after suffering many 
evils, to come back by necessity to Olympus, though griev- 

4 Without reason. 5 Ye possessing. 

6 Have been. * Thus, or in this way. 

£ >. f . sense of shame — the reverence due' to Jove. 

Y 



322 ILIAD XV.— -V. 135—161. 

135 ing, and to create mighty ills to all the rest of us? For he 
will immediately leave the bold Trojans and Achseans, and 
will come against us, to raise a storm in Olympus ; and 
will seize us one after the other, both he who is guilty, and 
he who is not. Wherefore I charge thee now to lay aside 
thy rage on account of thy son, for already have men, even 

140 superior to him in might and valour 9 , either been slain, 
or there will hereafter be slain 1 ; and difficult will it be 
to free from death the race and offspring of all men." 

So saying, she made the impetuous Mars sit upon his 
throne. And Juno summoned from without the house 

145 Apollo, and Iris, who is the messenger between the im- 
mortal gods, and, addressing them, uttered these winged 
words : 

" Jove orders you to repair with all haste to Ida ; and 
when ye arrive, and look upon the countenance 2 of Jove, 
do 3 whatever he may charge and command." 

The imperial Juno, having thus spoken, then went back 

150 and sat upon her throne ; and they, hastening, flew, and 
arrived at Ida of many streams, mother of wild beasts. 
And they found the far-sounding son of Saturn sitting 
upon the summit Gargarus, and an odoriferous cloud 
encircled him round. And, coming before the cloud- 

155 collecting Jove, they stopt; nor was he, beholding them, 
displeased in his mind, that they had obeyed with alacrity i 
the words of his wife. And first he addressed Iris in winged 
words : 

ee Haste, begone, fleet Iris, deliver all these words to king 

160 Neptune, nor be a false messenger. Command him to 
relinquish the battle and the war, and repair 5 to the com- 

9 Better than him in force and hands. 

1 i. e. others, better than he, have perished, and will perish. 

2 i. e. are in his presence. 

3 fpdtev — depends not on tceXero, but on fxe/xvijco, or something similar — 
it is Juno's own injunction, suggested by her fears, and her own resolution 
no longer to oppose Jove. 4 Quickly. 

s Relinquishing to repair. 



ILIAD XV.— V. 162—189. 

panies of gods, or to the vast sea. And if he will not 
be obedient to my words, but shall disregard them, let 
him then reflect within his mind and within his heart that 
he is not able, powerful though he be, to sustain me 
coming against him; for I know 6 well that I am superior 165 
to him in might, and before him by birth ; though his heart 
fears not to profess him equal to me, whom even the rest 
dread/' 

Thus he spake, nor did wind-footed, swift Iris disobey ; 
but descended from the Idagan mountains to sacred Ilium 7 . 
And as when snow or cold hail rushes from the clouds by 170 
the violence of the cloud-dispelling 8 north ; so quickly 
swift Iris flew along with eagerness, and standing near the 
illustrious Neptune, addressed him : 

" Azure-haired shaker of the earth, I have come hither, 
bringing a certain message to thee from the aegis-bearing 175 
Jove. He commands thee to relinquish the battle and the 
war, and repair either to the companies of gods, or to the 
vast sea. And if thou wilt not be obedient to his words, 
but shalt disregard them, he threatens that he will come 
hither himself to fight against thee ; and he advises thee to 180 
avoid his hands, because he declares that he is far superior 
to thee in might, and before thee by birth ; though thy 
heart is not afraid to profess itself equal to him, whom even 
the rest dread." 

And to her the illustrious Neptune, greatly indignant, 
said : " Gods ! powerful as he is, surely he speaks too 185 
proudly 9 , if he by force will restrain me, — who am of equal 
honour with himself, — against my will. For we are three 
brothers, sons of Saturn, whom Rhea bore — Jupiter, and 
I, and Pluto, who governs the infernal regions, the third : 
and all things were divided into three portions, and each 



6 <pT)fii — say. 

7 i. e. to the sceue of battle before Troy. 

8 Clearing the atmosphere. 

9 Above his weapons — beyond what his authority, or power, entitles him. 

Y 2 



324 ILIAD XV.— V. 190— 216. 

190 received by lot his authority \ I indeed, when the lots 
were shaken 2 obtained, as mine, to dwell for ever in the 
hoary sea, and Pluto obtained the pitchy darkness ; and 
Jove obtained the wide heaven in the air and in the 
clouds. But the earth is still the common property of all, 
and the lofty Olympus. Wherefore I shall not walk 3 at the 

195 pleasure of Jove, but let him, powerful though he be, re- 
main quiet in his third part; and let him by no means 
terrify me, as if I were a coward, with his hands. For it 
would be better for him to address with his terrible words 
the daughters and sons whom he has himself begotten, 
who of necessity will listen to his commands V 5 

200 And to him then the wind-footed, swift Iris replied: 
" O cerulean-tressed shaker of the earth, shall I really 
thus bear back from thee this fierce and bold speech to 
Jove ? Or wilt thou change it aught ? The minds of the 
prudent indeed are flexible. Thou knowest that the 
Furies 5 ever wait upon the elder." 

205 And to her, again, the earth-shaking Neptune said: 
" Iris, goddess, that speech thou hast very properly 
spoken 6 ; and it is good that a messenger should un- 
derstand suitable things 7 . But it is deep indignation that 
occupies 8 my heart and soul, when he chooses to threaten 

210 with angry words me, his equal in authority, and ap- 
pointed by the same fate. Indignant however as I now am, 
I will yield. But I will tell thee another thing, and I will 
utter that threat from my soul. If, contrary to my will 9 , 
and to that of Minerva, the plunderer, of Juno, and of 

215 Mercury, and of king Vulcan, he shall spare the lofty 
Ilium, and will not destroy it, nor give great victory to 

1 i. e. his share of the universe. 2 Trakuv, or icXrjpojv, understood. 

3 i. e. act — I will not obey. 

4 Will listen even of necessity to him commanding. 

5 i. e. the avengers of all wrongs. 

6 That is a very proper speech of thine. r? i. e. should be prudent. 

8 As if this was habitually the case. 

9 Apart from me, — L e. in spite of me. 



ILIAD XV. — V. 217—245. 325 

the Argives ; let him know this, that incurable animosity 
will exist between us." 

So saying, the shaker of the earth quitted the Achaean 
army, and proceeding, entered the deep ; and the Achaean 
heroes felt the loss of him. And then the cloud-collecting 220 
Jove addressed Apollo : 

" Go now, my beloved Phoebus, to Hector, armed in 
brass; for already has the earth-encircling Neptune de- 
parted to the vast sea, avoiding our stern resentment ; 
otherwise l those others, which are infernal gods, being 225 
around Saturn, would surely have heard our contest. 
This, however, is much better for me and for himself, that 
he has first yielded, dreading my power 2 ; because the 
affair would not have been concluded without toil 3 . 
Take thou then in thine hand the fringed 4 iEgis, and 
shaking it much, terrify the Achaean heroes. Of thyself, 230 
however, far-darter, let the illustrious Hector be the care. 
Therefore rouse up his mighty valour, until the flying 
Achaeans reach the ships and the Hellespont. Then 
I will myself determine, deed and word 5 , how also the 
Achaeans may breathe again from labour." 235 

Thus he spake, nor did Apollo disobey his father, but 
descended from the Idaean mountains, like to a swift hawk, 
the dove-destroyer, which is the fleetest of birds. He 
found the son of the warlike Priam, the noble Hector, sit- 
ting up, and no longer lying on the ground; for he had just 240 
collected his senses, recognising his friends about him. And 
the difficulty of breathing and the sweat had ceased, since 
the will of Jove had roused him 6 . Then far-darting Apollo, 
standing near, addressed him : 

" Hector, son of Priam, why sittest thou in this enfee- 
bled state apart from the rest ? What trouble has come 245 
upon thee ?" 



1 For — 9cU. if he had not, others, &c. 2 Hands. 

3 Without sweat. 4 Adorned with fringe. 

5 i. e. I shall determine both the measure and its execution. 

c i. *.. from his fainting fit. 



326 ILIAD XV.— V. 246—276. 

And to him the helmed Hector, languidly 7 said : " And 
who art thou, best of gods, who askest me in front 8 ? 
Knowest 9 thou not that the gallant Ajax smote me with a 
250 stone upon the breast, and caused me to cease from my 
vigorous efforts, when slaughtering his comrades at the 
sterns of the Achaean ships ? And truly I thought that I 
should this day behold the dead, and the abode of Pluto, 
for I was breathing out my dear life l ." 

And to him, in reply, the far-darting king Apollo said : 
255 " Be of good courage now — so great an assistant has the 
son of Saturn sent forth from Ida to stand by and aid thee 
— me, Phoebus Apollo of the golden sword ; who have long- 
defended 2 at once thyself, and the lofty city. Come then, 
exhort now thy numerous horsemen to drive their fleet 
260 horses towards the hollow ships ; and I, going before, will 
smooth the whole way for the horses, and put to rout the 
Achaean heroes. " 

So saying, he breathed immense strength into the shep- 
herd of the people. And 3 as when some stabled horse, 
fed at the stall, snapping his halter, scours over the plain, 
265 beating the earth with his feet — accustomed to wash him- 
self in the fair-flowing river — exulting, and he holds his 
head on high, and round his shoulders his mane wantons 4 ; 
and, trusting in his beauty, his knees easily bear him to the 
haunts and pasture of the mares : so Hector lightly moved 
270 his feet and knees, encouraging the horsemen, after he had 
heard the voice of the god. And the Danaans — as dogs 
and rustics hunt either a horned stag or wild goat, which 
a lofty rock and a thick forest protect, nor is it destined 
for them to catch it ; but at their shouting a bearded lion 
275 appears in the way, and speedily turns them all back, al- 
though keenly pursuing — so the Danaans, till then in 

7 Scarcely breathing. 8 i. e. openly — or visibly. 

9 Hearest — i. e. knowest thou not by hearing. 

1 i. e. for I was on the point of expiring. 

2 Who before, or of old, defend — like the Latin dudum with a present 
tense. 3 Z. 506—511. 

* Is moved — waves. 



ILIAD XV.— V. 277—307. 327 

troops, ever followed, striking with their swords and 
double-pointed spears. For when they beheld Hector, 
entering the ranks of heroes, they were troubled, and the 
courage of all fell to the ground 5 . 280 

And then Thoas, the son of Andraemon, harangued them 
— a man by far the bravest of the ./Etolians, skilful in the 
use of the missile weapon, and gallant in standing fight 6 ; 
and few of the Achaeans excelled him in the assembly, 
when the nobles contended in debate 7 . He harangued 285 
them with prudence, and said : 

" Ye gods, what a mighty miracle see I with my eyes ; 
Hector has thus risen up again, escaping death. Surely 
every body 8 thought he had died by the hands of Telamo- 
nian Ajax. But one of the gods has again rescued and 290 
preserved Hector — he indeed who loosened the knees of 
many Achaeans under them ; as now also will I think be 
again the case; for not without high-thundering Jove 
stands he, thus vigorous, in the van. Come then, let us 
all be persuaded to do as I shall advise. Let us command 295 
the multitude to retire towards the ships ; and let our- 
selves, as many as boast to be the noblest in the army, 
stand, in order that we, opposing, may first check him, 
lifting up our spears ; and I think that, although raging 
in spirit, he will fear to enter into the lines of the 
Danaans." 

Thus he spake ; and they listened to him readily, and 300 
obeyed. Accordingly Ajax 9 , and king Idomeneus, Teu- 
cer, and Meriones, and Meges, equal to Mars, calling 
upon the chiefs, marshalled their battle against Hector 
and the Trojans ; and in their rear the multitude retreated 305 
to the ships of the Achaeans. And the crowding Trojans 
pushed ! forward ; and Hector, with long strides, led them 
on ; and Phoebus Apollo advanced before him, having his 

5 At their feet to all. ° i. e. in close fight. 

7 7repi fxvOojv — about words — matters of debate — i. e. whose advice should 
be adopted. 8 The mind of each. 

9 Those round Ajax, &c. 1 Struck forward. 



328 ILIAD XV.— V. 308—340. 

shoulders wrapt in a cloud 2 , and held the mighty, terrific, 

310 fringed, dazzling ^Egis, that which Vulcan the artist had 
given to Jove, to be borne along for the terror of men. 
Holding this in his hands then, he led the troops. But 
the Argives remained collected, and a loud cry arose on 
both sides. And arrows leaped from the strings, and many 

315 spears from gallant hands, some of which were fixed in the 
body of warlike youths, and many likewise midway, before 
they had touched their fair skins, stuck in the earth, 
though eager to glut themselves with a body. And as long 
as Phoebus Apollo held the ^Egis steady in his hands, so 
long much did the weapons of both parties reach their 

320 mark, and the people fell. But when, looking full in the 
faces of the Danaans, possessed of fleet horses, he shook 
it, and himself, besides, shouted very loudly, he quelled 3 
the courage within their breasts, and they forgot their 
vigorous force 4 . And as two wild beasts, in the stillness 

325 of the dark night, rout a drove of oxen, or a large flock 
of sheep, coming suddenly upon them, the keeper not 
being present ; so were the enfeebled Achaeans routed : 
for Apollo sent fear amongst them, and gave glory to the 
Trojans and Hector. And then man slew man, the battle 

330 having become dispersed 5 . Hector slew Stichius and 
Arcesilaus — one the leader of the brazen-mailed Boeotians, 
and the other the faithful comrade of brave Menestheus. 
And ^Eneas slew Medon and Iasus — Medon 6 was the 
illegitimate son of the godlike O'ileus, and the brother of 

335Ajax; and dwelt in Phylace, far from his native land, 
having killed a man, the brother of his step-mother 
Eriopis, whom O'ileus had to wife; and Iasus, again, 
was the leader of the Athenians, and was called the son 
of Siphelus, the son of Bucolus. And Polydamas slew 

340 Mecisteus, and Polites Echius, in the front rank, and the 

2 Clothed as to his shoulders in a cloud. 

3 Softened, assuaged. 4 «• e. they no longer exerted it. 
5 I e. by the lines being broken. 6 N. 694—697- 



ILIAD XV.— V. 341—369. 329 

noble Agenor slew Clonius. And Paris wounded Deiochus 
behind at the extremity of the shoulder, when flying 
among the foremost combatants ; and drove the brass 
quite through. 

Whilst they were stripping these of their arms, the 
Achseans in the mean time, dashing 7 into the dug ditch 345 
and palisades, fled on all sides ; and, from necessity, en- 
tered within the rampart. And Hector, shouting aloud, 
exhorted the Trojans to rush upon the ships, and to quit 
the bloody spoils : 

" And whomsoever I shall observe on the other side 
apart from the ships 8 , there I will cause his death ; nor 
shall his brothers and sisters supply him, when dead, with 350 
a funeral pile 9 , but the dogs shall tear him before our 
city." 

So saying, he impelled forward his horses with the lash 
upon their shoulders, animating the Trojans, against the 
ranks ; and all, shouting along with him, drove their car- 
dragging steeds with a mighty clamour. And in front of 
them, Phoebus Apollo, easily throwing down the banks of 355 
the deep ditch with his feet, cast the earth into the mid- 
dle ; and bridged a road long and wide, as far as is the 
cast of a spear *, when a man, making trial of his strength, 
hurls it. There they poured forward in troops, and Apollo 360 
before them, holding the precious iEgis. And he threw 
down the rampart of the Achaeans very easily, as a boy 
does the sand by the sea ; who, when in sport he builds 
houses, again overturns them with his feet and hands, in 
wantonness. Thus, O Phoebus, the healer, didst thou de- 365 
stroy the great labour and toil of the Argives, and didst 
send rout among themselves. 

In this manner were they driven back, stopping at the 
ships ; and exhorting each other, and lifting up their hands 
to all the gods, they loudly made vows, each of them. 

7 As unable from their numbers to get within the rampart by the gate. 
s i. e. whomsoever I find to have lurked on this side of the rampart 
Allot him a pyre. l The length of a spear's cast. 



330 ILIAD XV.— V. 370—400. 

370 And Gerenian Nestor, particularly the guardian of the 
Achaeans, prayed, stretching out his hands to the starry 
heaven : 

" O father Jove, if ever any one in Argos, rich in grain, 
while burning to thee the fat legs either of ox or sheep, 
prayed that he might return, and thou didst promise and 

375 pledge it ; be mindful of these things, O Olympian, and 
repel the fatal day ; nor suffer thus Achaeans to be subdued 
by Trojans." 

Thus he spake, praying ; and wise Jove thundered aloud, 
hearing the supplications of the Neleian old man. But the 
Trojans, as if they understood the mind of aegis-bearing 

380 Jove, rushed still more upon the Argives, and were mind- 
ful of battle 2 . And they, as a vast billow of the wide 
sea ascends over the sides of a ship, when the force of the 
wind urges it — for it (the force of the wind) swells the 
waves very greatly ; so the Trojans with a mighty shout 

385 mounted over the wall. And driving in their horses, they 
fought at the sterns hand to hand with double-pointed 
spears, these from their cars, and the others on high from 
the black ships, ascending them, with long poles which lay 
in ships, adapted for sea-engagements, compact and tipped 

390 with brass 3 . 

And Patroclus, as long as the Achaeans and Trojans 
fought round the rampart 4 , outside the swift ships, sat in 
the tent of valour-loving Eurypylus, and soothed him with 
his conversation ; and sprinkled upon the sad wound medi- 

395 cines, the assuagers of dire 5 pains. But when he perceived 
the Trojans rushing within the rampart, and there was a 
cry and a rout of the Danaans, then indeed he groaned, 
and struck both his thighs with his dropped hands ; and, 
lamenting, uttered this speech : 

" I cannot any longer, Eurypylus, sit here beside thee, 

400 much as thou art in want of me, for now a mighty contest 

2 i. e. exerted all their energies. 

3 Clothed at the mouth (or point) with brass. 

4 i.e. on the Trojan side of the rampart. 5 Black. 



ILIAD XV.— V. 401—431. 331 

has arisen. But let thy attendant soothe thee ; and I will 
hasten to Achilles, that I may urge him to fight. And 
who knows whether, with God's help 6 , I may move his 
soul, admonishing him ? The admonition of a comrade is 
good 7 ." 

Him, after thus speaking, his feet bore away. Meanwhile 405 
the Achaeans firmly awaited the Trojans coming against 
them, but were unable to repel them, though they were 
the fewer," from the ships; nor could the Trojans ever, 
breaking through the columns of the Danaans, reach the 
tents or the ships. But as a line in the hands of a skilful 410 
mechanic, — one who is well instructed in all his art by the 
precepts of Minerva, — marks a piece of naval timber ; 
so was their battle and war extended equally 8 . Others 
indeed maintained the fight round other ships 9 , but Hec- 41 5 
tor pressed on against that of the glorious Ajax. Thus 
these two toiled * round one ship, nor were able, the one 
to drive away the other and kindle the ship with fire, nor 
the other to repulse him, for a divinity had brought him 
near. Then the illustrious Ajax smote Caletor, the son of 420 
Clytius, whilst carrying fire to the ship, upon the breast 
with his spear ; and falling, he gave a sound, and the fire- 
brand dropped from his hand. And when Hector perceived 
with his eyes his cousin falling amid the dust, in front of 
the black ship, he exhorted the Trojans and Lycians, loudly 
exclaiming : 

u Ye Trojans, and Lycians, and spear-fighting Dardans, 425 
shrink not now from battle in this narrow pass ; but save 
the son of Clytius, lest the Achaeans spoil him of his 
armour, now that he has fallen in the struggle at the 
ships/' 

So saying, he threw with his shining spear at Ajax ; 
him he missed; but he then smote Lycophron, the son of 430 
Mastor the servant of Ajax, a Cytherean, who dwelt with 

6 With a Deity. 7 a. 791, 792. 

8 i. e. the troops stood up, as straight as a line. 

9 Near them — but not yet quite at them. l Had labour. 

12 



332 ILIAD XV.— V. 431—461. 

him, for he had slain a man among the noble Cythereans. 
Him then he struck upon the head, above the ear, with his 
sharp javelin, whilst standing near Ajax : and he fell prone 
to the ground from the stern of the ship among the dust, 

435 and his limbs were relaxed. And Ajax shuddered, and 
addressed his brother : 

K Dear Teucer, slain now is our faithful comrade, the 
son of Mastor; whom, coming amongst us from Cythera, 
we both honoured equally with our beloved parents in our 

440 halls : for him the brave Hector has killed. Where now 
are thy deadly 2 arrows and the bow, which Phoebus Apollo 
gave thee ?" 

Thus he spake ; and he understood him ; and, running, 
stood near him, holding in his hand his bent bow and 
arrow-bearing quiver ; and very speedily sent his weapons 

445 among the Trojans. And he wounded Cleitus, the illus- 
trious son of Peisenor, the companion of Polydamas, the 
renowned son of Panthus, as he was holding the reins in 
his hands : and his labour had been with the horses ; for 
he drove them there, where the most numerous phalanxes 
were in conflict, gratifying Hector and the Trojans. But 

450 speedily upon him came destruction, which no one averted 
from him, eager as they were ; for the fatal arrow fell upon 
his neck from behind, and he tumbled from the car, and his 
horses started back, making the empty car rattle. But 
king Polydamas very quickly perceived it, and first came 

455 to meet his horses. Them he gave to Astynous, the son 
of Protiaon, and urged him much to keep the horses 
near him within sight 3 ; and himself, advancing again, 
mingled with the foremost combatants. And Teucer 
took 1 another arrow for Hector, armed in brass, and 
would have stopped the battle at the ships of the Achseans, 

460 if, striking him, while fighting bravely 5 , he had taken 
away his life. But it escaped not the observant mind of 

2 Bringing death quickly. 3 Looking at them. 

4 i. e. to shoot at Hector. 

5 apiGTivovra — doing his best — or fighting bravely. 



ILTAD XV.— V. 4G2— 492. 333 

Jove, who watched over Hector, and he deprived Telamo- 
nian Teucer of the glory ; for he snapped the well-twisted 
string upon his good bow as he was pulling it against 
Hector ; and the arrow, heavy with brass, was driven off in 465 
another direction, and the bow fell from his hand. And 
Teucer shuddered, and addressed his brother : 

" Ye gods, a divinity, without doubt, cuts up the coun- 
sels of our battle, for he 6 has struck the bow from my hand, 
and snapped the newly twisted string which I tied on 
it in the morning, that it might sustain the arrows, often 470 
bounding forth." 

And him answered then the mighty Telamonian Ajax : 
" Well, my friend, let thy bow and numerous arrows lie, 
since a god has rendered them useless 7 , envying the 
Danaans ; and, taking a long spear in thine hands, and a 
shield upon thy shoulder, fight against the Trojans, and 475 
encourage the other troops. Not without labour at least, 
victorious as they are, let them take the well-benched ships 
— but let us be mindful of battle/ 5 

Thus he spake ; and Teucer laid his bow in the tents. 
And then he placed around his shoulders a four-fold shield, 
and fixed upon his gallant head a well-made helmet, crested 480 
with horse-hair, and the crest nodded awfully from above. 
And he seized a tough spear, pointed with sharp brass, and 
hastened to advance, and, running very quickly, stood be- 
side Ajax. 

And when Hector perceived Teucer's arrows rendered 
useless, he animated the Trojans and Lycians, shouting 485 
aloud: 

" Ye Trojans, and Lycians, and spear-fighting Dardans, 
be men, my friends, and be mindful 8 of your best force at 
the hollow ships ; for I have already seen with my eyes the 
arrows of their bravest warrior rendered useless by Jove. 490 
And easily is the power of Jove perceivable among men, 
both among those to whom he gives 9 superior glory, and 

6 6 rt. „ 7 Has poured them together — i. e. broken. 

8 i. e. exert it. 9 Put into their hands. 



334 ILIAD XV.— V. 493—521. 

those whom he enfeebles, and desires not to defend. So 
now does he weaken the strength of the Argives, and 
assists us. Fight then in close order at the ships, and 

495 whosoever of you, wounded from afar or smitten hand 
to hand, meets with death and destiny, let him die : it 
will not be inglorious for himself to die fighting for his 
country — for his wife will be safe, and his children, be- 
hind him, and his house and patrimony uninjured, should 
the Achaeans depart with their ships to their own native 
land." 

500 So saying, he roused the strength and courage of each : 
and Ajax, on the other side, animated his comrades : 

" For shame, Argives ! now is the time * either to 
perish, or be saved and repel destruction from the ships 2 . 
What, hope ye, if the plumed Hector capture the ships, 

505 each to arrive on foot at his native land ? or hear ye not 
Hector, who now longs to fire the ships, exhorting all 
Ms people ? He is bidding them not to come to a dance, 
but to fight. And for us there is no thought or plan 

510 better than this, to mingle in close quarters our hands 
and valour. It is better either to die at once or live 3 
— rather than thus for no purpose to perish, drop by drop, 
in dire combat beside the ships, under men weaker than 
ourselves." 

So saying, he stirred up the strength and courage of 

515 each. Then Hector slew Schedius, the son of Peri- 
medes, prince of the Phoceans ; and Ajax slew Laodamas, 
a commander of infantry, the noble son of Antenor. 
And Polydamas slew the Cyllenian Otus, the comrade of 
the son of Phyleus, the chief of the brave Epeians. And 

520 upon him Meges, perceiving it, rushed ; but Polydamas 
stooped 4 , and he missed him ; for Apollo suffered not the 



1 aptaov — i. e. to apicovv, that which is sufficient — the right or proper 
moment to act decisively — the crisis. 

2 i. e. to perish is one alternative— to be saved, i. e. to conquer, and repel 
ruin from the ships, is the other. 

3 i. e. to conquer. 4 i. e. he threw himself forward. 



ILIAD XV— V. 522—55J. 335 

son of Panthus to be subdued among the foremost com- 
batants. And he wounded the middle of Crcesmus* breast 
with his spear, and, falling, he gave a sound ; and Meges 
stripped the armour from his shoulders. Meanwhile 
Dolops, son of Lampus, well skilled in the use of the spear, 525 
sprang upon him — he, well acquainted with active fight 5 , 
whom Lampus, the son of Laomedon, the most excellent 
of men, begot — who then attacking him from near at hand, 
smote the middle of the son of Phyleus' shield with his 
spear : but the thick corselet, which he wore, compact in 530 
its cavities, defended him — that which Phyleus once 
brought from Ephyre, from the river Selleeis. For 
Euphetes, king of men, his host, had given it to him, to 
wear in battle as a defence against his enemies ; and it 
then warded off destruction from the body of his son. Of 
his brazen helmet then Meges struck with his sharp spear 535 
the extreme cone, rough with horse-hair, and cut off his 
horse-hair crest ; and it, newly glittering with purple, all 
fell to the ground in the dust. Meanwhile he (Meges) 
remaining firm, fought with the other (Dolops), and still 
hoped for victory, and the warlike Menelaus, came as an 540 
assistant to him (Meges) ; and he stood with a spear, 
unobserved, on Dolops? flank, and wounded him from 
behind on the shoulder; and the spear, driven with 
violence, passed through his breast, making its way on- 
ward; and he fell headlong. Both then rushed upon 
him to tear the brazen armour from his shoulders ; and 545 
Hector strenuously exhorted all his brothers, and chid the 
gallant Melanippus, first, the son of Hicetaon 6 . He till then 
had fed his slow-footed oxen at Percota, the enemy being 
far away ; but when the ships of the Danaans, impelled by 
oars on both sides, had arrived, he came back to Troy, and 
distinguished himself among the Trojans ; and he dwelt 550 
with Priam, who honoured him equally with his sons. 

5 i. e. very capable of great exertions — or one who well knew how to 
employ his strength with efficacy. 

6 A brother of Priam, Y. 238. 



336 ILIAD XV.— V. 552—576. 

Him then Hector chid, and uttered this speech, and ad- 
dressed him by name : 

" Shall we be thus remiss, O Melanippus ? Is not thy 
heart moved within thee for thy kinsman slain ? Seest 

555 thou not how busy they are about the arms of Dolops ? 
Follow then ; for it is no longer a time to fight at a dis- 
tance with the Argives, but rather we must either slay 
them, or they overturn the lofty Ilium, and slaughter its 
citizens." 

So saying, he led on, and the godlike man followed along 

560 with him. And the mighty Telamonian Ajax animated the 
Argives : 

" O my friends, be men, and put honour 7 in your 
hearts, and emulate 8 each other in hard battles. While 
men thus emulate 9 each other, more are saved than are 
slain ; but when they run away, there is neither glory, nor 
safety V 

565 Thus he spake, and they themselves also burned to 
repulse the foe. And they laid up his advice in their 
mind, and fortified the ships with a brazen rampart 2 ; for 
Jove urged on the Trojans. And the gallant Menelaus 
excited Antilochus : 

ei Antilochus, no other of the Achaeans is younger than 

570 thou, nor swifter of foot — nor strong as thou for fighting. 
Try if thou canst spring forward and smite some hero of 
the Trojans 3 ." 

So saying, he retired again ; but that excited the other. 
And .Antilochus sprang from among the foremost com- 
batants, and hurled his shining spear, after gazing around 

575 him ; and the Trojans fell back from the hurling hero. 
And he sent not the weapon in vain, but struck upon the 



7 i. e. think of the disgrace of being conquered. — E. 529 — 532. 

8 Or, shame each other to exertion. 

9 aido/i£va)v — (j)£vyovTb)v — both genitives absolute. 

1 Strength— help — i. e. in and for themselves. 

2 i. e. they stood in a line in their brazen armour. 

3 Or, I wish thou wouldst, &c. — or, if thou, &c. do. 



ILIAD XV.— V. 576—609. 337 

breast, near the pap, Melanippus, the brave son of Hice- 
toon, now going into battle. And, falling, he made a 
crash, and his arms rattled upon him. Then Antilochus 
sprang upon him, like a dog which rushes upon a wounded 580 
fawn, which the huntsman throwing at, has wounded, 
when leaping from its lair, and loosened its limbs under 
it. So upon thee, O Melanippus, sprang stout Antilochus, 
to strip off thine armour ; but he was not unseen by noble 
Hector, who came against him, running through the battle. 
And Antilochus, though a gallant warrior, awaited him 585 
not, but fled, like a mischievous wild beast, which having 
killed a dog or man in charge of 4 oxen, flies, before a 
crowd of men be collected : so fled the son of Nestor ; and 
the Trojans and Hector, with mighty clamour, poured 590 
their woeful weapons after him. And when he came to 
the column of his comrades, wheeling round, he stopt. 

Meanwhile the Trojans rushed upon the ships like car- 
nivorous lions, and fulfilled the mandates 5 of Jove ; for he 
ever excited their great strength, and damped the courage 
of the Argives, and deprived them of glory ; and he ani- 595 
mated their foes. For his soul desired to bestow glory 
upon Hector, the son of Priam, that he might cast the 
fiercely-burning, unwearied fire upon the curved ships ; and 
accomplish all the unjust prayer of Thetis. For this the 
counsellor Jove awaited 6 , to behold with his eyes the flame 600 
of a burning vessel; for from that time he was going to 
make the Trojans 7 retreat from the ships, and to bestow 
glory upon the Danaans. Designing these things, he ani- 
mated Hector, son of Priam, although very eager himself 
also, at the hollow ships. And he raged, as when Mars, 605 
brandisher of the spear, or a destructive fire rages among the 
mountains, in the recesses of a deep forest. And there was 
foam about his mouth, and his eyes glared from beneath 
his stern brows ; and the casque waved awfully upon the 

4 Around. 

5 6g. fi As the limit of the disasters of the Achseans 
7 To make a retreat of, &c. 



338 ILIAD XV.— V. Gio— 640. 

610 temples of Hector while fighting ; for Jupiter himself from 
the aether was his assistant, and honoured and glorified 
him alone among the multitude of men ; because he was 
destined to be of a short life : for already was Pallas 
Minerva impelling towards him the fatal day, under the 

615 might of Achilles. And Hector desired to break the ranks 
of warriors, making the attempt wherever he beheld the 
greatest throng and the best weapons. But not thus was 
he able to break them, although very eager ; for they, col- 
lected in squares 8 , sustained him, like a rock lofty and 

620 large, being near the hoary deep, which abides the furious 
inroads of the loud winds, and vast billows which break 
over it. Thus the Danaans firmly awaited the Trojans, 
nor fled. But he, resplendent with fire 9 , on all sides, 
charged the throng ; and fell upon them, as when an im- 

625 petuous wave, raised by the wind from the clouds, dashes 
upon a swift ship, and it is all covered with the spray, and 
a terrible blast of wind roars in its sail : and the sailors 
tremble in their hearts, frightened, for they are borne x but 
a little way from death : so harassed were the hearts of the 

630 Achaeans within their breasts. And he, like a destroying 
lion rushing upon cows, which feed in the moist ground 
of a spacious meadow in great numbers 2 , and among them 
is a keeper yet incapable of 3 fighting with a wild beast, to 
prevent the slaughter i of a crumpled-horned cow — he in- 

635 deed always walks along with the foremost or hindmost 
cows, and the lion, springing in the midst, devours a cow, 
and all the rest fly in terror ; — so then the Achaeans were 
put to the rout, panic-struck, by Hector and father Jove, 
all — but Hector slew only the Mycenaean Periphetes, the 

640 beloved son of Copreus, who once went with a message of 

8 In solid bodies, like towers. 

9 i. e. with the splendours of his armour. 

1 %. e. in the ship — they are in extreme peril. 2 Ten thousand. 

3 Not yet thoroughly knowing — i. e. who had not yet the necessary expe- 
rience — a young herdsman. 

4 For the slaughter — i. e. to prevent it — possibly for the possession of the 
body. 



ILIAD XV.— V. 641— 667. 339 

king Eurystheus to the mighty Hercules. From this far 
inferior father sprang a son superior in all kinds of excel- 
lence, in speed and in combat; and for intelligence was 
among the first of the Mycenaeans. He then afforded 
higher glory to Hector. For, turning backwards, he 645 
kicked against the rim of the shield which he bore — a 
defence reaching to his feet against javelins — caught by 
which he fell flat, and the helmet sounded terribly round 
the temples of the falling man. And Hector quickly 
marked, and, running, stood near him, and plunged his 650 
spear in his bosom, and slew him near his beloved com- 
rades ; and they were unable, although grieved for their 
comrade, to be of service to him, for they themselves 
greatly feared the noble Hector. And they retired within 
the lines of their ships 5 , and the outermost 6 ships covered 
them, which were dragged up first : and the enemy still 
rushed forward. The Argives, therefore, from necessity, 655 
retreated from the foremost vessels, and remained there 
beside the tents in close order, and were not scattered 
through the camp : for shame and fear restrained them ; 
and unceasingly they exhorted one another with shouting. 
And Gerenian Nestor, the guardian of the Achaeans, par- 660 
ticularly adjured them by their parents, falling at the 
knees of each man : 

" O my friends, be men, and put into your minds respect 
for other men 7 . Recal to your memory, each of you, your 
children, your wives, and possessions, and parents, as well 
ye whose parents live, as ye whose parents are dead 8 . For 665 
the sake of those, not present, I here intreat you bravely to 
stand, nor be turned to flight." 

So saying, he roused the valour and courage of each. 

5 There were two lines, at least — one near the rampart, the other near 
the sea. The Achseans had now so far retreated as to be between these 
lines. 

6 i. e. nearest the rampart. 

7 i. e. consider what others will think of you, if you suffer yourselves to 
be defeated. Compax*e 561 of this book. 

8 Both he to whom (or, whose) his parents are dead, and he, &c. 

z 2 



340 ILIAD XV.— V. 668-— 700. 

And Minerva dispelled for them the heaven-sent cloud of 
darkness from their eyes ; and light arose abundantly to 
670 them on both sides, both towards the ships and towards 
the destructive battle, Then beheld they the gallant Hec- 
tor and his comrades, as well those who stood apart in the 
rear and fought not, as those who maintained the fight at 
the swift ships. 
675 No longer then did it please the heart of the bold Ajax 
to stand, where the other sons of the Achaeans stood apart : 
but he went about upon the decks of the vessels with long 
strides 9 , and wielded in his hands a large, polished, naval 
pike, compact with iron spikes, twenty-two cubits long. 
And as when a man, well skilled in horsemanship \ who, 
680 after he has selected four horses out of many, driving them 
from the plain, directs them towards a great city along the 
public road ; and many look at him with admiration, both 
men and women ; and he, always leaping firmly and safely, 
changes his seat from one to the other ; and they fly 
685 along: so Ajax ran along many decks of swift ships, with 
loud shouts, and his voice reached to the aether : and ever 
shouting terribly, he bade the Danaans defend their ships 
and tents. Nor indeed did Hector remain among the 
690 crowd of well-armed 2 Trojans; but as a tawny eagle 
pounces upon a flock of winged birds, feeding beside a 
river, of geese, or cranes, or long-necked swans ; so Hec- 
tor directed his course towards a cerulean-prowed vessel, 
rushing at it; and Jove, with a very mighty hand, im- 
695 pelled him from behind, and animated his people along 
with him. 

And again was a dire combat waged at the ships. You 

would have said that unlaboured and unexhausted 3 they 

opposed each other in war ; so furiously they fought. And 

these were the thoughts of them fighting — the Achaeans 

700 indeed supposed that they could not escape from de- 

9 Striding along. 1 KeXtjri^tiv — i. e. to ride. 

2 Thickly corseleted. 

3 i. e. as if they were just come fresh into the field. 



ILIAD XV.— V. 701—730. 341 

struction, but must perish ; and among the Trojans, the 
soul of each within his breast hoped to fire the ships, and 
to slaughter the Achaean heroes. Thinking thus they 
pressed upon one another. 

And Hector seized the stern of a sea-crossing bark, 
beautiful and swift, which had brought Protesilaus to 705 
Troy, but bore him not back again to his native land. 
Round his ship then the Achaeans and Trojans now slew 
one another hand to hand ; nor did they wait at a dis- 
tance the strokes of arrows and of javelins ; but standing 
close, with one mind, they fought with sharp battle-axes 710 
and bills, with large swords and double-pointed spears. 
And many beautiful falchions, black-hilted, with large 
handles, fell to the earth, some from the hands, and others 
from the shoulders of the combating heroes ; and the 715 
ground flowed black with blood. And Hector, after he 
had seized the vessel by the stern, let not go his hold, 
clinging to the tafferel with his hands, and encouraged 
the Trojans : 

u Bring fire, and yourselves together excite ye the bat- 
tle. Now has Jove given us a day worth all days, the day 
for taking the ships, which, corning here, against the will 720 
of the gods, have brought upon us many disasters through 
the cowardice of our rulers; who kept me back, when 
desirous myself to fight at the sterns of the ships, and 
restrained the people. But if indeed the far-sounding 
Jove then befooled our senses, he himself now impels and 725 
urges us on." 

Thus he spake, and then they rushed more than ever 
upon the Argives ; and Ajax could no longer sustain 
them, for he was borne down with weapons; and, ex- 
pecting to be killed, he stept back a little to the seven- 
feet- wide bench 4 , and quitted the deck of his equal ship 5 . 730 



* i. e. to the centre of the ship — for the deck did not extend over the 
v^hole — only over the forecastle and the poop. 

5 Here he was less exposed — half his person was covered by the side of 
the vessel. 



342 ILIAD XV.— V. 731—747. 

There he stood watching, and ever with his spear re- 
pulsed the Trojans from the ships, whoever brought in- 
satiable fire ; and always shouting dreadfully, animated 
the Danaans : 

66 O my friends, Danaan heroes, servants of Mars, be 
men, my friends, and be mindful of your best exertions. 

735 Think we, that we have any supporters in the rear ? or 
any better rampart to ward off destruction from our men ? 
No town is there at hand, fortified with towers, where we 
may be defended, having a relieving force 6 ; but on the 

740 plain of the strong-mailed Trojans, resting on the sea 7 , sit 
we far from our native land ; therefore safety is in our ex- 
ertions 8 , not in remission of battle." 

He said, and, furious, charged with his sharp spear. 
And whichever of the Trojans rushed 9 towards the hollow 
ships with blazing fire, for the sake of Hector, who ex- 

745 cited them, — him Ajax wounded, awaiting him, with his 
sharp spear; and he smote twelve hand to hand in front 
of the ships." 

6 kTtpakKta — having other strength, or, employing its strength in turn 
with us. 

7 i. e. with our camp on the shore. 8 Light is in our hands. 
9 Was borne, or bore himself. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER. 



BOOK xvr. 



ARGUMENT. 



Ajax, at length overpowered, and having broken his spear, gives way 
when his ship is immediately set fire to. Achilles grants permission to 
Patroclus to join the battle in his (Achilles) armour, but with strict 
injunctions to do no more than defend the fleet. The Trojans are 
repulsed, and followed with impetuosity into the plain, where Patroclus 
slays Sarpedon, and is himself slain by Hector, after Euphorbus had 
wounded him, and Apollo stripped him of his armour. 

Thus then were they fighting for the well-benched ship. 
But Patroclus stood beside Achilles, shepherd of people, 
shedding hot tears, like a black-water fountain, which 
pours down its dark stream from a lofty rock. And him, 
the swift-footed noble Achilles pitied, beholding, and, ad- 5 
dressing him, spake these winged words : 

" Why weepest thou, Patroclus ? As an infant girl, 
who, running along with her mother, presses to be taken 
up in her arms, catching hold of her robe, and detaining 
her, though in haste; and weeping, looks towards her 10 
mother till she is taken up — like to her, O Patroclus, dost 
thou shed the tender tear. Art thou going to announce 
aught to the Myrmidons, or to myself? Or hast thou 
alone heard any news from Phthia? They say that 



344 ILIAD XVI.— V. 14—46. 

Menoetius, the son of Actor ', still lives ; and Peleus, the 

15 son of ^Eacus, lives among his Myrmidons ; for both of 
whom, if dead, we might deeply grieve. Or dost thou 
mourn for the Argives, that they are perishing beside 
their hollow ships, on account of their iniquity to me ? 
Speak out, hide it not in thy mind, that we both may 
know/ 5 

20 And to him, heavily sighing, thou, noble 2 Patroclus, 
didst say : " O Achilles, son of Peleus, by far the bravest 
of the Achaeans, be not offended; for a grief so great 
oppresses the Achaeans : for now all, as many as were 
formerly most valiant, lie in the ships, wounded from afar, 
or smitten in close quarters. Brave Diomedes, the son of 

25 Tydeus, is wounded, and spear-skilled Ulysses smitten, 
and Agamemnon ; and Eurypylus also is wounded in the 
thigh with an arrow. About these indeed are the doctors, 
men of many remedies, busied, dressing their wounds ; 

30 but thou, Achilles, art inexorable. Never me at least may 
that resentment seize, which thou preservest. Disastrous 
valour ! what, is some other later-born to be benefitted by 
thee, that thou wilt not ward off foul ruin from the 
Argives ? Man without pity ! noble Peleus was not thy 

35 father, nor Thetis thy mother ; but the azure sea produced 
thee, and lofty rocks, for thy heart is insensible 3 . But, 
if within thy breast thou shunnest any oracle, and thy 
venerable mother has communicated any to thee from 
Jove, send me at least forthwith, and along with me 
give them the rest of the army of the Myrmidons, that 

40 if possible I may be some aid i to the Danaans. Grant 
me also to put thy armour on my shoulders, that the Tro- 
jans, taking me for thee, may desist from battle, and the 
warlike sons of the Achaeans exhausted, respire; and 
there be a short respite to the war. For we who are fresh 

45 shall easily repulse from the ships and tents towards the 
city, men worn down with battle." 

1 Father of Patroclus. 2 Equestrian. 

3 See the same lines, A. 7U3 — 802. 4 Light. 

12 



ILIAD XVI.— V. 47—78. 345 

Thus, supplicating, he spake — very foolish, for indeed 
it was to supplicate for himself sad death and fate. And 
to him the swift-footed Achilles, groaning deeply, said: 

" Alas ! most noble Patroclus, what hast thou said ? 
Neither am I regarding any oracle, which I know, nor 50 
has my divine mother communicated aught to me from 
Jove. But that intolerable insult 5 goes to my heart and 
soul — when a man chooses to deprive his equal 6 of his 
portion and to take back his reward, because he surpasses 
him in power. That insult is intolerable to me. For I have 55 
suffered tortures from it in my soul, that the maid, whom 
the sons of the Achaeans selected as a reward for me, gained 
by my own spear, laying waste a well- walled city — her has 
king Agamemnon, the son of Atreus, taken back out of 
my hands, as if I were some dishonourable fugitive. But 60 
let us dismiss the past 7 ; nor is it allowable to be eternally 
enraged in one's breast. Certainly I did say that I would 
not lay aside my resentment before 8 the shout and the 
battle had reached my ships. Do thou therefore, put on 65 
upon thy shoulders my famous armour, and lead the war- 
loving Myrmidons to battle ; since at last a black cloud of 
Trojans has with force enveloped the ships ; and the Argives 
are shut up by the shore of the sea, possessing now but a 
small spot of land. Moreover, the whole city of the Tro- 70 
jans has come forth full of confidence, because they behold 
not the front of my helmet glittering near; although, 
speedily flying, they would have filled the trenches with 
their bodies, if king Agamemnon had been just towards 
me 9 : and now they combat around our very camp \ For 75 
no longer rages the spears in the hands of Diomedes, son 
of Tydeus, to repel ruin from the Danaans ; nor do I any 
longer hear the voice of Agamemnon shouting, from his 



5 For axog here expresses the source of grief. 

6 Not in power, but dignity. 

1 But as to what things occurred before — we will leave them. 

8 Before — but when. 9 If he had known just things to me. 

1 Around the army — i. e. at their stations — the camp. 



346 ILIAD XVI.— V. 79—108. 

detested head. But that of man-slaying Hector, animating 
the Trojans, echoes around ; and they with a shout possess 

80 the whole plain, conquering the Achaeans in battle. Yet 
even thus, Patroclus, fall upon them bravely, warding off 
destruction from the ships, lest at last they consume the 
vessels with glowing fire, and cut off our loved return. 
Still be persuaded to do as I shall put the sum of my dis- 
course in thy mind, in order that thou mayest obtain for 

85 me great honour and glory from all the Danaans ; and they 
may bring back to me the beautiful maid, and give me 
moreover rich presents. Having driven the enemy from 
the ships, come back again ; and if the high-thundering 
husband of Juno, besides, grant thee to obtain glory, be 

90 not thou desirous without me, to fight with the war-loving 
Trojans; otherwise 2 thou wilt render me more dis- 
honoured. Nor, exulting in the battle and shout, lead on 
as far as Ilium, slaughtering the Trojans, lest some of 
the everlasting gods come down from Olympus ; for the 

95 far-darting Apollo dearly loves them. But turn back 
after thou hast given safety to the fleet 3 , and let the rest 
wage the battle along the plain. Oh ! father Jove, and 
Minerva, and Apollo ! that none of the Trojans, as many 
as there are, might escape death, nor one of the Argives ; 
100 but that thou and I, escaping, might remain; that we alone 
might pull down the sacred walls of Troy/ 5 

Thus they such words to each other spoke. But 4 Ajax 
no longer remained firm, for he was overwhelmed with 
weapons. The counsel of Jove overpowers him, and the 
fierce Trojans, hurling at him. And his glittering casque 
105 round his temples, struck with weapons, emitted a terrible 
sound, and the well-made cones of his helmet were in- 
cessantly struck. And he was wearied in his left shoulder, 
by always firmly holding his agile shield ; yet were they 
unable, pressing him with their weapons all around, to 



2 dt. 3 After thou hast placed a light among the ships. 

4 The poet resumes from O. 727- 



ILIAD XVI.— V. 109—14 1. 347 

move him. xVll the while he was oppressed with severe 
panting 9 , and much sweat poured everywhere from his 110 
limbs, nor was he at all able to respire ; for on every side 
evil was heaped upon evil. 

Tell me now, ye Muses, possessing Olympian abodes, 
how first the fire fell upon the ships of the Achaeans. 

Hector, standing near, struck the ashen spear of Ajax 
with his huge sword, just above the junction of the point, 115 
and cut it quite through. That lopped spear Telamonian 
Ajax brandished in his hand in vain ; and, far from him, 
the brazen point rang, falling upon the earth. Then Ajax 
recognized in his honest soul, and shuddered at, the deeds 
of the gods ; for high-thundering Jove cut up entirely his 120 
plans of war, and designed glory for the Trojans. And he 
retired from the weapons ; and they cast the indomitable 
fire into the swift ship, and instantly the inextinguishable 
flame of it poured along. Thus the fire curled round 
the stern ; and Achilles, striking his thighs, addressed 125 
Patroclus : 

u Up noble Patroclus, manager of horses — I perceive 
the fury of the hostile fire already at the ships — lest they 
now take the ships and there be no longer the means of 
escaping ; put on thine armour quickly, and I will assemble 
the host." 

Thus he spake ; and Patroclus armed himself in glitter- 130 
ing brass. First round his legs he put the beautiful 
greaves, fastened vvith silver clasps ; next he braced the 
corslet of the swift-footed grandson of iEacus upon his 
breast, variegated and adorned with stars ; and then threw 
round his shoulders his silver-hilted brazen sword ; and 135 
afterwards the large and thick shield. Upon his gallant 
head he placed the well-formed helmet, crested with horse- 
hair, and the crest nodded terribly from above. He 
seized besides strong spears which fitted his hands, and 
took not the unique spear of the illustrious descendant of 140 
^Eacus, ponderous, large, and thick; which indeed no 

5 i. c. he was out of breath with his exertions. 



348 ILIAD XVI.— V. 142—172. 

other of the Achaeans could wield 6 ; but Achilles alone 
knew how to wield it — a Pelion ash, which Cheiron gave 
to his (Achilles 9 ) father, cut from the top of mount Pelion, 

145 to be death to heroes. And he bade Automedon quickly 
yoke the horses — him whom next to Achilles, the breaker 
of the ranks of heroes, he most honoured ; for 7 he was 
most faithful to him in battle, awaiting his directions. 
Therefore also Automedon led under the yoke the fleet 
horses, Xanthus and Balius, which vied with the winds in 

150 speed 8 . Them the Harpian Podarge, while feeding in 
the pasture by the stream of Oceanus, bore to the wind, 
Zephyrus. And in the outer harness he fastened the noble 
Pedasus, the horse which Achilles, after taking Eetion's 
town, brought away; and which, though mortal, accom- 

155 panied immortal horses. And Achilles, going up and 
down, made all the Myrmidons throughout the tents put 
on their armour ; and, they, — like carnivorous wolves, in 
whose breast there is immense force, and which, having 
slain a large horned stag in the mountains devour it, 

160 and the jaws of all are red with blood ; and then they 
rushed in a pack, lapping with slender tongues the surface 
of the dark water from a deep fountain, vomiting 9 gore 
of blood ; and their courage is intrepid in their breasts, 
and their paunch is distended : — such rushed the leaders 

165 and chiefs of the Myrmidons round the brave comrade 
of the swift-footed descendant of ^Eacus ; and amongst 
them stood the warlike Achilles, animating both the steeds 
and the shielded warriors \ 

Fifty were the swift galleys, in which Achilles, beloved 

170 of Jove, brought his troops to Troy, and in each were fifty 
men, comrades at the benches. Five leaders moreover had 
he appointed, in whom he trusted, to direct them ; whilst 



6 Shake. 

7 de — -for — it introduces the reason for Achilles' regard. And so in a 
multitude of cases. s Which flew along with the winds. 

9 i. e. the gore running, or dripping from their mouths. 
1 i. e. both horse and foot. 



ILIAD XVI.— V. 173—201. 349 

himself ruled, commanding in chief. One troop Menes- 
thens of the variegated corslet led, the son of Spercheius, 
a river flowing 2 from Jove : whom the daughter of Peleus, 
the fair Polydora, bore to the unwearied Spercheius — a 
woman embraced by a god ; although, according to report 3 , 1 75 
it ivas to Bonis, the son of Perieres, who had publicly 
espoused her, giving invaluable marriage presents. And 
the second, the warlike Eudorus commanded, of illegiti- 
mate birth 4 , whom Polymela, the daughter of Phylas, jgQ 
graceful in the dance, bore. With her the powerful 
Mercury 5 fell in love, seeing her with his eyes, among 
the revellers, at a dance of the golden-bowed Diana, 
who delights in the halloo of the chace ; and immediately 
ascending to an upper chamber, the Acacesian 6 Mercury 
secretly lay with her; and she bore to him a noble son, ^35 
Eudorus, distinguished for speed in the race 7 , and as 
a warrior. But after that Eileithyia, who presides over 
births, had brought him into the light, and he beheld the 
rays of the sun, the mighty Echecleus 8 , son of Actor, 
took her home, after he had given innumerable marriage 290 
presents ° ; and the aged Phylas carefully nursed and 
brought up the boy, affectionately loving him, as if he 
w r ere - his own son. And the third the warlike Pisander 
led, the son of Maemalus, who, next to the companion of 
the son of Peleus, surpassed all the Myrmidons in fighting jgg 
with the spear. And the fourth the aged chief Phoenix 
commanded. And the fifth, Alcimedon, the noble son of 
Laerces. And when Achilles, marshalling them properly, 
had posted all, along with their leaders, he gave to them 
this gallant order : 

* Ye Myrmidons, let none of you be forgetful of the 200 
threats with which, at the swift ships, ye have been threat- 



2 i. e. as rains come from the sky. 3 eTriicXr]<nv — nominally. 

4 irapQeviog — i. e. the son of an unmarried lady. 

5 Slayer of Argus. 6 From Acacas, a mountain of Arcadia. 
7 Swift above others to run. 8 The great vigour of Echecleus. 
9 i. e. to her father. * As being. 



350 ILIAD XVI.— V. 202—232. 

ening the Trojans, during the whole of my indignation, 
and thus blamed me, each of you : ( O cruel son of Peleus ! 
thy mother surely fed thee with gall ; relentless man ! who 
detainest thy comrades against their will at the ships. 

205 Home let us return again in our sea-crossing barks, since 
this miserable rage has thus fallen upon thy soul/ These 
things, assembled, ye frequently utter ; and now the mighty 
work of war appears, of which ye have been all along 2 
desirous. There let each one, who has a brave heart, fight 
against the Trojans." 

210 So saying, he roused the valour and courage of each, 
and their ranks were more closed when they heard the 
king. And as when a man constructs the wall of a lofty 
mansion with stones closely joined, guarding against the 
violence of the winds ; so joined were their helmets and 

215 bossed shields; and shield supported shield, helmet helmet, 
and man man : and the horse-hair plumes upon the shin- 
ing cones of them, waving, touched each other; so closely 
stood they to one another. Before them all stood armed 3 
two warriors, Patroclus and Automedon, and with one 

220 mind, to fight in front of the Myrmidons. And Achilles 
hastened into his tent ; and took off the cover of a chest, 
beautiful, variously-adorned, which silver-footed Thetis 
had put on board for him, to be taken in his ship, having 
filled it well with tunics, and wind-repelling cloaks, and 

225 s °ft carpets. And in it was a curiously-wrought cup, and 
neither did any other man 4 drink dark wine from it, nor 
did he pour out libations from it to any of the gods, ex- 
cept to father Jove. This then taking from the chest, he 
first purified with sulphur, and then washed it with pure 

230 streams of water ; and he washed his own hands, and drew 
the dark wine. Then, standing in the middle of the area, 
he prayed, and offered a libation of wine, looking up to 
heaven ; and he was not unobserved by Jupiter, delighting 
in thunder : 

2 to now ye — i. e. ever since my quarrel with Agamemnon. 

3 Were armed. * Nor did any other neither of men. 



ILIAD XVI.— V. 233— 2G0. 351 

"O Dodoncan, Pelasgic king Jove, dwelling far from us, 
presiding over the bleak Dodona ; and around 5 dwell thy 
prophets, the Selli, with feet unwashed, and sleeping upon 235 
the earth ; assuredly thou didst once hear my voice when 
praying ' — didst honour me, and greatly damage the people 
of the Achreans ; and now again accomplish for me this 
desire. For I will myself remain in the throng of ships, 
but I send forth my companion, with the numerous Myr- 240 
midons, to battle ; send thou glory along with him, O far- 
sounding Jove; incite his heart 7 within his breast, that 
Hector too may know, whether our attendant, even alone 8 , 
understands how to wage war, and whether his 9 hands 
will then rage invincible, when I myself go forth to the 
combat of Mars. But after he has driven the battle and 245 
the shout from the ships, may he then return to me, to 
the swift barks, unhurt, with all his armour and close- 
fighting comrades/ 5 

Thus he spake, praying, and the wise Jove heard him. 
One part the father granted him, but refused the other. 250 
He granted him to repulse the war and battle from the 
ships, but refused him to return safe from the combat. 
He, however, having poured out a libation, and prayed 
to father Jove, went back into his tent, and replaced the 
cup in the chest. And coming back, he stood before the 
tent, for he still desired in his heart to behold the dire 255 
battle of the Trojans and Achaeans. 

And those who were armed along with the brave Patro- 
clus, marched in good order, till, in high spirits 1 they 
rushed upon the Trojans. Then at once they poured out 
like to wasps by the road-side, which foolish boys, accord- 260 

5 i. e. Dodona. 6 My word of me praying. 

7 i. e. give him resolution. 8 i. e. without me. 

9 i. e. Hector's. — The point is, if Patroclus be too much for Hector, let 
Hector think how he is to withstand me. The construction will bear 
perhaps this interpretation also — that he may know whether Patroclus by 
himself knows how to fight, or then only rages, when I go out with him 
to battle — but this is comparatively flat and feeble. 

1 Thinking greatly. 



352 ILIAD XVI.— V. 261—291. 

ing to custom, irritate, constantly vexing them, in their 
nests by the road ; and cause a common evil among many. 
And if perchance any way-faring man, travelling there, 
disturb them through ignorance, they, possessing bold 

265 hearts, all fly forth, and defend their young. With the 
heart and spirit of these, the Myrmidons then poured from 
the ships, and a vast tumult arose. And Patroclus ani- 
mated his comrades, loudly shouting : 

i( Ye Myrmidons, comrades of Achilles, the son of Pe- 

270leus, be men, my friends, and be mindful of your best 
energies, that both we, his close-fighting servants, may do 
honour to the son of Peleus, who is by far the bravest of 
the Achaeans, at the ships ; and that the son of Atreus, the 
wide-ruling Agamemnon, may know his folly, when he 
insulted 2 the bravest of the Achaeans." 

275 So saying, he roused the valour and courage of each ; 
and in a body they fell upon the Trojans : and the ships 
around echoed fearfully, while the Achaeans shouted. And 
the Trojans, when they beheld the gallant son of Mence- 
tius, himself and his attendant glittering in arms, — the 

280 hearts of all were agitated, and the phalanxes gave way, 
supposing that the swift-footed son of Peleus at the ships 
had flung away his indignation, and taken up friendship 3 : 
and each one gazed about, where he might escape dire de- 
struction. 

And Patroclus first hurled his shining spear right into 

285 the midst, where they were huddled together in greatest 
numbers, by the stern of the ship of the brave Protesilaus, 
and struck Pyraechmes, who led the Paeonian cavalry 4 
from Amydon, from the wide-flowing Axius. Him he 
struck upon the right shoulder, and, groaning, he fell flat 
in the dust ; and the Pceonians, his comrades, were put 

290 to rout around him, for Patroclus sent fear upon them all, 
having slain their leader, who was the bravest in battle 5 . 

2 Nothing honoured. 3 - u e< was reconciled to Atrides. 

4 i. e. still car-warriors — there is no evidence that cavalry in the modern 
sense were in use. s Who was best to fight. 



ILIAD XVI.— V. 293—321. 353 

And he drove them from the ships, and extinguished the 
blazing fire. And the ship half-burnt was there left, and 
the Trojans were routed with a prodigious tumult : and 295 
the Danaans poured forth along the hollow ships ; and a 
mighty confusion was created. And as when, from the 
lofty summit of a huge mountain, Jove, who collects the 
lightning, removes a thick cloud, and all the rocks and 
high ridges and forests become visible, and in the sky 300 
breaks forth 6 an immeasurable aether : so the Danaans 
breathed a little, after repelling the hostile fire from their 
ships. There was however no cessation of battle ; for not 
yet were the Trojans routed pell-mell from the black ships 
by the warlike Achaeans, but still offered resistance, and 305 
retired 7 from the ships only from necessity. Then, of the 
leaders, man slew man, the fight being spread ; and first, 
the gallant son of Menoetius, with his sharp spear^ imme- 
diately smote the thigh of Areilochus, when turned about, 
and drove the brass quite through : and the spear split the 310 
bone, and he fell prone upon the earth. And warlike Mene- 
laus also wounded Thoas upon the breast, when exposed 8 
by the shield, and loosened his members. But Phyleides, 
watching Amphiclus, whilst rushing in, anticipating, struck 9 
him in the hinder part of the leg, where the muscles x of a 3] 5 
man are thickest ; and the sinews were cut quite through 
by the point of the spear, and darkness covered his eyes. 
And the sons 2 of Nestor — Antilochus, smote Atymnius 
with his sharp spear, and drove the brazen weapon through 
his flank, and he fell before him ; and Maris, standing in 
front of the carcase, rushed close upon Antilochus with 320 
his spear, enraged on account of his brother. But the 



6 Is made to burst forth from heaven. 

7 i. e. slowly. 8 Made naked as to his breast. 

9 He was beforehand with him in striking, &c. — £<p9rj ope%. sell. iy% n - 
Compare line 322, where the phrase is more complete. 

1 i. e. the calf — Amphiclus was not rushing at 1dm, but at some other ; 
and Phylides, watching his opportunity, struck him as he passed. 

2 Antilochus and Thrasymedes, 

a a 



354 ILIAD XVI.— -V. 322-351. 

godlike Thrasymedes, striking at him, wounded him first 3 
in the shoulder, — missed him not ; and the point of the 
spear stript the muscles from the back of the arm, and 
325 tore them off the bone. And he gave a sound, falling, 
and darkness covered his eyes. Thus, subdued, by two 
brothers, these two went to Erebus, the brave compa- 
nions of Sarpedon, the spear-darting sons of Amisodarus ; 
— he who nursed the unconquerable Chimaera, an evil to 
many men. 
330 And Ajax, son of Oileus, rushing upon Cleobulus, 
took him alive, entangled in the crowd; and there 
loosened his strength, striking him upon the neck with 
his hilted sword. And the whole sword was warmed over 
with blood, and purple death and forceful fate seized his 
eyes. 
335 And Peneleus and Lycon engaged in close combat ; for 
they had missed each other with their spears, and both 
had thrown in vain; and they charged again with their 
swords. Then Lycon smote the cone of the other's 
helmet, crested with horse-hair, and the sword broke close 
to the hilt. But Peneleus struck his neck below the ear, 
340 and the whole sword sank in, and the skin alone held 
it : and the head dropt down, and his members were 
loosened. 

Meriones also, overtaking Acamas with rapid feet, smote 
him, while mounting his car, on the right shoulder; 
and he fell from the car, and darkness was poured over 
his eyes. 
345 And Idomeneus struck Erymas in the mouth with his 
ruthless brass; and the brazen weapon passed through 
below, under the brain, and cleft the white bones. And 
his teeth were dashed out, and both his eyes filled with 
blood, which he poured out from his mouth and from 
350 his nostrils, gaping ; and the black cloud of death covered 
him round. These leaders of the Danaans then slew each 
his man. 

3 i. e. was beforehand with him, as in line 314. 



ILIAD XVI.— V. 352—380. 355 

And as destructive wolves rush on lambs or kids, snatch- 
ing them from the flocks, which are scattered on the 
mountains by the negligence of the shepherd ; and they 
perceiving them, immediately tear the timid 4 animals in 355 
pieces : so the Danaans rushed upon the Trojans, and the 
Trojans were mindful of horrid-sounding rout, and forget- 
ful of active bravery 5 . And the mighty Ajax burned to 
hurl his javelin at Hector, armed in brass ; but he, by his 
skill in war, covering his broad shoulders with his bull's- 360 
hide shield, watched the hiss of arrows and the whizzing 
of darts. He perceived indeed the victory of battle was 
leaning the other w r ay 6 ; yet even thus he remained, and 
saved his beloved companions. 

And as when from Olympus comes a cloud into the 
heavens, out of a clear atmosphere, w r hen Jove rouses the 305 
storm ; so was the clamour and rout of the Trojans flying 
from the ships. Nor did they repass the ditch in good 
order; but the swift-footed steeds bore Hector out 7 with 
his arms; and he deserted the Trojan army, whom, against 
their will, the deep ditch kept back. And many car- 
dragging fleet horses left the cars of their masters in the 370 
ditch, broken at the point of the pole 8 . And Patroclus 
pursued keenly, animating the Danaans, and meditating 
evils on the Trojans ; and they, with outcry and rout, filled 
all the roads after they w r ere scattered. And a tempest of 
dust was spread aloft under the clouds, and the solid-hoofed 375 
horses pressed back towards the city from the ships and 
tents. And Patroclus, wheresoever he beheld the troops 
in greatest confusion, thither directed his course, shouting 
with threats ; and beneath his axle men fell prone from 
their chariots, and the cars were overturned with a crash. 
Then the fleet, immortal steeds, which the gods had given 380 



1 Having timid spirit. 5 i. e. thought of nothing but flight. 

r ' erepaXicea — helping the other side. 
7 i.e. out of the battle — over the ditch. 

s 7rpwry — first pole— or first part of it — meaning the car end of it — close 
to the car. 

a a 2 



356 ILTAD XVI.— V. 381— ill. 

as distinguished presents to Peleus^ pressing forward, 
sprang quite across the ditch : and his spirit urged him 
against Hector, for he was eager to strike him ; and his 
swift horses bore him out. 

And as the black earth is entirely burthened by a tem- 

385 pest on an autumnal day, what time Jove pours forth 
his very violent streams ; when at length he gives vent to 
his fury, enraged with men, who, by violence, exercise 
perverse judgment 9 in the forum, and expel justice, not 
fearing the vengeance of the gods; and all their rivers 

390 grow full, flowing along, and the torrents then tear away 
many declivities, and, pouring headlong from the moun- 
tains into the purple sea, roar loudly, and the works of 
men are destroyed * : so loudly snorted the Trojan steeds, 
running along. And Patroclus, when he had intercepted 

395 the front columns, drove them back again towards the 
ships, and permitted them not, desiring it, to ascend towards 
the city ; but, pressing upon them, slaughtered them mid- 
way between the ships, and the river and high rampart, 
and exacted vengeance for many. Then indeed he smote 
with his shining spear Pronous first, having his breast 

400 naked near the shield, and loosened his members : and he 
gave a sound, falling. And Patroclus, attacking next 
Thestor, the son of Enops — and he sat, crouching, in 
his well-polished car, for he was panic-struck in his mind, 
and the reins had then dropped from his hands — and 

405 Patroclus, standing near, struck him with his spear on the 
right cheek, and drove it through his teeth. Then,, catching 
the spear, he dragged him over the panels 2 of the car — as 
when some man, sitting upon a projecting rock, pulls with 
a line and bright hook 3 , a sacred fish clear out from the 
sea; so he dragged him, gaping, from his car with the 

410 shining spear. Then he shook him off upon his mouth 4 , 
and life left him, falling. And next he struck Erylaus, 

9 Who judge perverse j udgments. 

1 Lessened. 2 The avrvl. 3 Brass. 

i He fell upon his face. 



ILIAD XVI.— V. 412 — 143. 357 

rushing against him, on the middle of the head with a 
rook ; and it was all cut asunder into two parts in his 
strong casque ; and Erylaus then fell flat upon the earth, 
and fatal death was poured around him. And afterwards 
Erymas, and Amphoterus, Epaltes, and Tlepolemus, the 415 
son of Damastor, and Echius, and Pyris, and Ipheus, and 
Eiuppus, and Polymelus, the son of Argeus, all one after 
the other he brought down upon the fertile earth. 

And when Sarpedon perceived his- loose-girded 5 com- 
rades subdued by the hands of Patroclus, son of Mence- 420 
tins, he exhorted the godlike Lycians, reviling them : 

u For shame, Lycians, whither fly ye ? Now be active : 
for I will oppose this man, that I may know who he is 
that is so victorious : for truly he has wrought many evils 
to the Trojans, and has loosened the knees of many and 425 
brave men" 

He said, and leaped from his car with his armour to the 
ground ; and Patroclus, on the other side, when he beheld 
him, sprang from his car. Then they — as crooked-taloned, 
hook-beaked vultures, loudly screaming, fight upon a lofty 
rock — so they, shouting, rushed against each other. And 430 
the son of wily Saturn, looking upon them, felt compas- 
sion, and addressed Juno, his sister and spouse : 

a Alas for me, since it is fated that Sarpedon, dearest to 
me of men, shall be subdued by Patroclus, the son of Me- 
noetius. And my heart impels me two ways 6 , revolving in 435 
my breast, whether I shall snatch him, being alive, from 
the tearful battle, and place him among the rich people 
of Lycia, or now subdue him by the hands of the son of 
Menoetius." 

And him answered then the large-eyed, imperial Juno : 
"Most despotic son of Saturn, what word hast thou spoken? 440 
Desirest thou again to free from sad death a man, being a 
mortal, long ago doomed to Ms fate ? Do so ; but all we 



;> a/jurnoxiTujveg — peculiar to the Lycians — they stem to have worn no 
mitra at the bottom of, or under, the corslet. 
" To me, turning, &c. 



358 ILIAD XVI.— V. 444—476. 

the other gods shall not approve. And I tell thee another 
thing, and do thou cast 7 it in thy mind. If thou shouldst 

445 save, and send 8 this Sarpedon home, consider whether 

, some other of the gods may not hereafter also wish to send 

away his beloved son from the rough battle ; for round the 

vast city of Priam fight many sons of immortals, upon 

whom thou wilt throw heavy displeasure. But if he be 

450 dear to thee, and thy heart pities him, let him be subdued 
in the rough battle,, by the hands of Patroclus, the son of 
Menoetius ; and when his spirit and life have left him, 
send Death and sweet Sleep to carry him until they reach 
the people of wide Lycia. There his brethren and friends 

455 will perform his obsequies with a tomb and a pillar; for 
that is the honour of the dead." 

Thus she spake, nor did the father of gods and men re- 
fuse ; but he poured down upon the earth bloody dew- 

460 drops, honouring his beloved son, whom Patroclus was 
going to kill in fertile Troy, far from his native land. 

And when, advancing, they were now near each other, 
then indeed Patroclus struck the illustrious Thrasymelus, 
who was the gallant attendant of king Sarpedon — him he 

465 struck upon the lower part of the belly, and loosened his 
limbs. Then Sarpedon, next attacking, missed him with 
his bright javelin; but wounded the horse Pedasus, with 
his spear, in the right shoulder ; and he groaned, breath- 
ing out his life, and fell, moaning, in the dust, and his 

470 life fled from him. But the other two started asunder, 
and the yoke crashed, and the reins were hampered about 
them, after the outer horse lay in the dust. For this, 
however, the spear-skilled Automedon found a remedy 9 . 
Drawing his long sword from his stout thigh, hastening, 
he cut away the outer horse, nor did it lazily. And the 

475 two horses were put straight, and were managed by the 
reins : and the two warriors again rushed together for 
deadly combat. 

7 i. e. attend to it. 

8 Saving alive {Z,wv) shouldst send. 9 End. 



ILIAD XVI.— V. 477—508. 359 

Then again Sarpedon missed with his shining spear, 
and the point of the weapon went over the left shoulder of 
Patroclus, and wounded him not. And Patroclus next 
attacked with his javelin, and the weapon escaped not in 480 
vain from his hand, but struck him where the midriff 1 
protects the beating heart. And he fell, as when falls 
some oak, or poplar, or lofty pine, which workmen cut down 
in the mountains with newly-sharpened axes, for naval tim- 
ber ; so lay he stretched before his horses and chariot, 485 
grinding his teeth and grasping the bloody dust. As a 
lion, coming among a herd, slays a bull, tawny, and brave, 
among slow-footed oxen, and he perishes, bellowing, be- 
neath the fangs of the lion ; so the leader of the shielded 
Lycians was enraged at being slain by Patroclus, and 490 
addressed his beloved comrade by name : 

i( Glaucus, my friend, warrior among heroes, now does 
it greatly behove thee to be a spearman and a daring war- 
rior ; now let destructive battle be thy desire, if thou art 
an alert avenger. First, stir up the leaders of the Lycians 495 
— going among them all- — to fight round Sarpedon^ and 
then do thou thyself also combat for me with thy spear. 
For I shall, even in after times, be a cause of shame and 
disgrace to thee for ever 2 , if the Achaeans strip me of my 
armour, falling in this battle at the ships. Bravely then 500 
hold on the fight, and animate all the army." 

Whilst he was thus speaking, the end of death covered 
his eyes and nostrils 3 ; and Patroclus, planting his heel 
upon his breast, drew out the spear from his body, and 
immediately the pericardium 4 followed with it; and he 
drew out together his life, and the point of the weapon. 595 
And the Myrmidons held there his snorting steeds, eager 
to fly along after they quitted 5 the car of their lords. And 
a sharp pang came upon Glaucus, hearing the voice of 



1 Or the pericardium. a All days throughout. 

3 The end of death then covered him, thus speaking, as to his eyes and 
nostrils. i <j>ptve£. 

after the car was left by Sarpedon and his driver. 



360 ILIAD XVI.— V. 509—540. 

his friend ; and his heart was shaken, that he could not 

510 aid him. But, holding his (own) arm with his hand, he 
pressed it ; for grievously pained him the wound, which 
Teucer with an arrow had — repelling the battle from his 
comrades — inflicted upon him, whilst springing upon the 
lofty rampart; and then, praying, he addressed the far- 
darting Apollo : 

" Hear, O king, whether thou art in the rich state of 

515 Lycia, or in Troy 6 , for thou canst every where hear a man 
in trouble, as trouble now comes upon me. For this wound 
which I have is severe, and my hand is pierced in all direc- 
tions with sharp pains, nor can my blood be staunched, 
and my shoulder is weighed down with it. And I cannot 

520 firmly hold my spear, nor can 7, advancing, combat with 
the enemy ; and the bravest hero has fallen, Sarpedon, the 
son of Jove ; nor does he assist his own son. Heal thou 
then for me this severe wound, O king ; and lull my pains, 
and grant me strength, that, animating my comrades, the 

525 Lycians, I may urge them to fight ; and may myself com- 
bat for the dead body." 

Thus he spake, praying, and Phoebus Apollo heard him. 
Immediately he allayed the pains, and dried up the black 
blood from the severe wound, and threw strength into his 

530 soul. And Glaucus was conscious of the cure, and was 
delighted, that the great god had for his sake 7 quickly 
heard him, praying. First then, going about in all direc- 
tions, he exhorted the heroes, leaders of the Lycians, to 
fight for Sarpedon; and then went among the Trojans, 

535 loudly calling upon Polydamas, the son of Panthus, and 
the noble Agenor. And he went after ^Eneas, and brass- 
armed Hector, and, standing near, addressed to him these 
winged words : 

" Hector, now art thou wholly neglectful of thine allies, 
who for thy sake, far from their friends and native land, 

540 are losing their lives ; and thou wilt not assist them. Sar- 

c Lit. who somewhere art in, &e. 

7 oi — for Sarpedon's sake — had heard his prayer. 



ILIAD XVI.— V. 511—570. 361 

pedon lies dead, the leader of the shielded Lycians, who 
defended Lycia by his justice and his valour. For him has 
brazen Mars subdued with a spear by Patroclus. Stand 8 
by us then, friends, and consider the scandal in your 
minds, should the Myrmidons take away his armour, and 545 
insult his corpse, enraged on account of all the Danaans, 
who have perished, whom we have slain with our spears at 
the swift ships." 

Thus he spake, and deeply did grief intolerable, ex- 
cessive, seize the Trojans, for he had been u pillar of 
their city, though a foreigner ; for many troops followed 550 
along with him, and among them he was himself the 
most valiant in battle. Glowing, therefore, they ad- 
vanced straight upon the Danaans; and Hector headed 
them, inflamed with anger on account of Sarpedon. And 
the resolute spirit of Patroclus, the son of Mencetius, 
roused the Achaeans. The Ajaxes first he addressed, them- 555 
selves also eager : 

il O Ajaxes, let it now be dear to you both to repulse 
the foe — be such as you were of old among heroes, or even 
braver. Dead lies Sarpedon, the man who first leaped 
upon the wall of the Achaeans. But O that we could seize 
his body, and insult it 9 — and strip his armour from his 
shoulders, and subdue some one of his comrades, now 560 
keeping us off, with our ruthless brass." 

Thus he spake, and they themselves also were prompt 
to repel the foe. And when they had strengthened their 
columns on both sides, both the Trojans and Lycians, and 
Myrmidons and Achaeans, they closed to fight round 
the dead body, shouting horribly, and the arms of the 565 
men rattled aloud. And Jove spread pernicious night 
over the fierce battle, that the toil of combat round his 
dear son might be destructive. And the Trojans first 
drove back the brave x Achaeans : for a man was smitten, 570 

8 Or, assist your friends. 

9 I. e. by exposing him to dogs and birds of prey, 
1 iXtKwTTtQ. A. 389. r. 100. 



362 ILIAD XVI.— V. 571—603. 

by no means the worst among the Myrmidons, noble 
Epigeus, son of brave Agacles, who once ruled in the 
well-inhabited Budeium ; but then having slain a gallant 
kinsman, he came as a suppliant to Peleus, and the silver- 

575 footed Thetis ; and they sent him along with Achilles, the 
breaker of ranks, to follow to Ilium, renowned for steeds, 
that he might fight against the Trojans. Him then, when 
catching hold of the body, the illustrious Hector struck 
upon the head with a stone ; and it was all cleft in twain 
in his strong casque ; and he fell prone upon the corse, 

580 and fatal death was poured around him. Then grief arose 
within Patroclus, for his comrade slain; and he burst 
right through the foremost combatants, like to a swift 
hawk, which puts to flight jackdaws or starlings — so, 
O equestrian Patroclus, didst thou rush right upon the 

585 Lycians and Trojans ; for thou wert enraged in thy heart 
about thy comrade. And he struck Sthenelaus, the be- 
loved son of Ithaemeneus, upon the neck with a stone, and 
burst his tendons : and the foremost combatants and the 
illustrious Hector fell back, as far as is the cast of a long 

590 javelin, which a man may throw, either striving in a game, 
or even in war, among 2 his life-destroying foes : so 
far the Trojans fell back, and the Achaeans repulsed 
them. 

And Glaucus, the leader of the shielded Lycians, first 
turned, and slew the brave Bathycles, the beloved son of 

595 Chalcon, who, inhabiting mansions in Hellas, was conspi- 
cuous among the Myrmidons for riches and wealth. Him 
then Glaucus, turning round suddenly, wounded in the 
middle of the breast with his spear, when Bathycles, pur- 
suing, was overtaking him. He, falling, gave a sound; 

600 and deep grief seized the Achaeans, because a brave war- 
rior had fallen; but the Trojans greatly rejoiced, and, 
going in a body, stood round him ; nor were the Achaeans 
forgetful of valour, but straightway bore their might 
against them. Then again Meriones slew a brave man of 



ILIAD XVI.— V. (304— 635. 363 

the Trojans, Laogonus, the gallant son of Onetor, who 
was a priest of Idaean Jove, and was honoured by the 605 
people Like a god. Him he struck below the jaw and 
ear, and his soul quickly departed from his limbs, and 
hateful night seized him. And iEneas sent a brazen 
spear at Meriones, for he hoped to hit him, as he was 
striding forward under cover of his shield. He, however, 610 
observing it coming against him, avoided the brazen spear ; 
for he bent forward, and the long javelin pitched in the 
earth behind him, and the shaft of the spear quivered 
above ; and there the rapid weapon 3 then spent its force. 
For the javelin of iEneas, quivering, went into the earth, 615 
after it had sprung in vain from his strong hand. Then 
.Eneas was indignant in his mind, and said : 

" Meriones, soon my spear would have for ever put thee 
to rest, dancer 4 as thou art, had I but struck thee." 

To him again spear-skilled Meriones spake in return : 
" .Eneas, it were hard for thee, gallant although thou art, 620 
to extinguish the valour of all who come against thee to 
repulse thee 5 ; for thou art also mortal. And if I, aiming 
at thee, should strike thy middle with my sharp spear, 
brave as thou art, and confident in thy prowess 6 , thou 
wouldest immediately give thy glory to me, and thy soul 625 
to Pluto, famed for steeds." 

Thus he spake, but the gallant son of Mencetius chid 
him : " Meriones, why dost thou, brave although thou art, 
talk thus 7 ? O, my friend, the Trojans will not retire from 
the corpse for opprobrious words, before the earth hold 
some one of them : for the end of war is in the hands, 630 
but that of words is in the council ; wherefore it does not 
behove thee to multiply words, but to fight." 

So saying, he then led the way, and the godlike man 
followed along with him. And as the crash of wood- 
cutters 8 arises in the glens of a mountain, and the sound 635 

■\pr]Q. 4 He had eluded the stroke by his agility, 

iveeping thee off. ° Thy hands. 

7 Talk these words. 8 Wood-cuttiug men. 



364 ILIAD XVI.— V. 636—668. 

is heard from afar ; so from them, smitten with swords 
and double pointed spears, arose, from the wide-extended 
plain, the clash of brass, of leather, and of well prepared 
bulls' hides. Nor would a man, although well acquainted 
ivith him, any longer have known the noble Sarpedon, 

640 for he was covered all over, from the head to the soles 
of the feet, with weapons, and gore and dust. And 
they still crowded round the corpse, as when flies in the 
stall hum among pails full of milk, during the vernal sea- 
son, when the milk wets 9 the vessels. So they still crowded 

645 round the body : nor did Jove ever turn his bright eyes 
from the brave battle ; but always looked upon them, and 
meditated many things in his mind respecting the death 
of Patroclus, anxiously deliberating whether now the illus- 
trious Hector, for the sake of godlike Sarpedon, should 

650 slay him with the spear in the fierce fight, and strip the 
armour from his shoulders, or yet awhile he should increase 
severe labour to more. Thus to him, reflecting, it ap- 
peared to be better, that the brave comrade of Achilles, 
son of Peleus, should drive back the Trojans and Hector, 

655 armed in brass, towards the city, and take away life from 
many. For into Hector, first of all, he sent enfeebling 
Fright ; and he ascending his car, turned himself to flight, 
and advised the other Trojans to fly, for he recognised the 
sacred scales * of Jove. Then neither did the brave 
Lycians remain, but all took to flight when they beheld 

660 their king wounded in the heart, lying among a heap of 
dead ; for many had fallen over him, as long as the son of 
Saturn stretched 2 the cord of fierce strife. And when the 
others (Achceans) had stripped the armour from the 

665 shoulders of Sarpedon, brazen and glittering, the gallant 
son of Mencetius gave them to his comrades to carry to 
the hollow ships : and then the cloud-collecting Jove ad- 
dressed Apollo : 

9 And of course, fills. 1 i. e. the will of Jove. Compare 9. 09. 

2 Compare A. 336, S. 389. — unless the word here refers to raXavra 
(scales), and then the sense will be — suspended the scales. 



ILIAD XVI. ■ V. 668—697. 365 

" Come now \ my dear Phoebus, go arid cleanse Sar- 
pedon from the black gore, taking him 4 up from among 
the weapons ; and then, bearing him far away, wash him 
in the streams of a river, and anoint him with ambrosia, 670 
and put round him imperishable robes ; and then give him 
in charge to the twin brothers, Sleep and Death, swift 
guides, to be carried by them — they who will speedily lay 
him in the rich state of broad Lycia. There his brethren 
and friends will perform his obsequies with a tomb and a 675 
monument, for that is the honour of the dead." 

Thus he spake ; nor was Apollo inattentive to his father, 
but descended from the Idaean mountains to the dire bat- 
tle. And immediately taking up the noble Sarpedon from 
the weapons, and bearing him far away, he washed him in 
the streams of a river, anointed him with ambrosia, and 680 
put about him imperishable robes ; then gave him in charge 
to the twin-brothers, Sleep and Death, swift guides, to be 
borne along by them ; and they quickly laid him down in 
the rich state of broad Lycia. 

But Patroclus, animating his steeds and Automedon, 
followed upon the Trojans and Lycians, and made a great 685 
mistake — foolish man, — for if he had observed the direc- 
tion of the son of Peleus, he would have surely escaped the 
evil destiny of black death. But ever is the counsel of 
Jove superior to that of men, who puts to flight even the 
brave man, and takes away victory with ease, even when 690 
he himself impels him to fight — it was he who then ex- 
cited his courage in his breast. Then whom first, and 
whom last, didst thou slay, O Patroclus, when the gods 
now summoned thee to death ? Adrastus first, and Au- 
tonous and Echeclus, and Perimus, the son of Megas, and 695 
Epistor, and Melanippus ; and afterwards Elasus, and 
Mulius, and Pylartes. These he slew ; and the rest were 



3 Lit. But if — come now — i. e. if you will be so obliging, or some impli- 
cation of that sort. 

4 Compare line G7# below, sk fieXtwv — i. e. from the field of battle. 



36G ILIAD XVI.— V. G9S— 729. 

one and all mindful of flight 5 . Then would the sons of 
the Achaeans have taken high-gated Troy, by the hands 
of Patroclus, for he raged mightily before others with his 

700 spear ; had not Phoebus Apollo stood upon a well-built 
tower, meditating destruction to him, and assisting the 
Trojans. Thrice did Patroclus mount 6 upon a buttress of 
the lofty wall, and thrice did Apollo push him off, striking 

705 his glittering shield with his immortal hands. But when 
now, like to a god, he rushed on the fourth time, the far- 
darting Apollo, fearfully threatening, addressed him : 

a Retire, noble Patroclus ; it is not fated, that the 
city of the haughty Trojans should be laid waste by thy 
spear, nor by that of Achilles, who is much mightier than 
thou." 

710 Thus he spake, and Patroclus retired a great way back, 
avoiding the wrath of the far- darting Apollo. 

Meanwhile Hector was holding his horses at the Scaean 
gates ; for he was in doubt whether, driving again into the 
throng, he should fight, or urge the troops to collect 
against the wall. Whilst revolving these things, Phoebus 

715 Apollo stood near him, with the semblance of a war- 
rior, active and brave, — Asius, who was the maternal uncle 
of equestrian Hector, full brother of Hecuba, and son of 
Dymas, who dwelt in Phrygia, by the streams of the San- 

720 garius— to him Phoebus Apollo, assimilating himself, ad- 
dressed Hector : 

u Hector, why dost thou shrink from battle ? It becomes 
not thee. Would that I were as much superior to thee as 
I am inferior ; then soon at thy peril shouldst thou recede 
from the battle. Come then, drive thy solid-hoofed horses 

725 against Patroclus, that, if possible, thou mayst kill him, 
and Apollo give thee glory." 

So saying, the god went again to the toil of heroes ; and 
the illustrious Hector commanded the brave Cebriones, to 
lash the steeds to the fight. And Apollo, proceeding, en- 

5 Were mindful of flight, each of them. 

6 i. e. made the attempt. 



ILIAD XVI.— V. 73C— 7b6. 307 

tered the throng; and sent destructive confusion among 730 
the Argives ; and bestowed glory upon the Trojans and 
Hector. And Hector passed by the other Danaans, and 
slew them not ; but directed his solid-hoofed horses against 
Patroclus. And Patroclus, on the other side, leaped from 
his car to the ground, holding his spear in his left hand ; 
and with the other snatched up a stone, white and rugged, 
which his hand covered round 7 , and threw it with all his 735 
force 8 . Nor 9 was he far from the man. Not in vain was 
the weapon thrown, for he struck with the sharp stone, 
upon the forehead, the driver of Hector, Cebriones, — a 
bastard son of renowned Priam, — whilst holding the 
reins of the horses. And the stone crushed both his eye- 740 
brows, nor did the bone ! sustain it, and his eyes fell in the 
dust upon the ground before his feet ; and he, like to a 
diver, fell from the well-wrought car, and the life quitted 
his bones. And him with gibes didst thou thus address, 
O equestrian Patroclus : 

u Ye gods ! what a very active man ! how nimbly he 745 
dives ! truly if he were in the fishy sea, that man, seeking 
oysters, would get abundance for many, leaping down 
from his ship, if it 2 w r ere ever so tempestuous — so easily 
into the plain does he dive from his car. And doubtless 
among the Trojans there are divers 3 enough." 750 

So saying, he went towards the hero Cebriones, with 
the fury of a lion, which ravaging the folds, is wounded 
in the breast, and its own boldness destroys it ; so didst 
thou spring, O Patroclus, glowing, upon Cebriones; and . 
Hector, on the other side, leaped from his horses to the 755 
ground. For Cebriones, like lions, did these two contend 



7 i. e. it filled his hand. 

8 spsKTcifitvog — striving with much effort. 

9 Possibly — neither was the weapon far from the man, nor was it thrown 
in vain, for he struck, &c. The reading is probably not correct — nothing- 
better seems likely to be made of the present. 

1 i. e. the frontal bone. 2 i. e. ttovtoq. 

3 The meaning may be — doubtless there are oilier divers among the 
Trojans — L e. the Trojans may all be knocked over in the same way. 

12 



368 ILIAD XVI.— V. 759—789. 

— which, both hungry, fight with proud spirits for a slaugh- 
tered stag on the summits of a mountain — so for Cebriones, 

760 these two skilful warriors, Patroclus, son of Menoetius, and 
the illustrious Hector, strove to pierce 4 each other's bodies 
with direful brass. Hector, when he seized it 5 by the head, 
did not let go his hold ; and Patroclus, on the other side, 
held it by the foot ; and now the rest of the Trojans and 
Danaans joined the stubborn fight. 

765 And as the east and south winds strive with one another, 
in the glens of a mountain, to shake a deep forest — beech, 
and ash, and rugged 6 cornel, which dash their long-extend- 
ing branches against each other with a mighty sound, and 
there is a crash of them breaking ; so Trojans and Achaeans, 

770 springing upon one another, slaughtered, and neither were 
mindful of pernicious flight. Many sharp spears were 
fixed round Cebriones, and feathered arrows springing from 
the string; and many huge stones struck against the 

775 shields of those combating round him ; but he, mighty, 
lay at huge length in a heap of dust, forgetful of his skill 
in the chariot. 

As long indeed as the sun was ascending the middle 
heaven, so long the weapons in great numbers 7 reached 
both sides, and the people fell. But when the sun had 

780 passed over towards the west 8 , then indeed the Achaeans 
were superior, beyond their fate. They dragged the hero 
Cebriones from among the weapons, from the throng of 
Trojans, and stripped the armour from his shoulders. And 
Patroclus, with ill designs 9 , rushed on the Trojans. Thrice 

785 then he charged, equal to swift Mars, shouting horribly, 
and thrice slew nine men. But when, like a god, he at- 
tacked the fourth time, then indeed, O Patroclus, the term 
of thy life appeared ; for Phoebus, terrible in the fierce 
battle, opposed thee. He (Patroclus) had not observed 



* To cut. 5 i. e. the body of Cebriones. 

e Having long bark. 7 /ia\a— much. 

8 To the unyoking of the oxen — I e. the close of the day. 

9 Thinking evils — with a sort of malice prepense. 



ILIAD XVI.— V. 790—821* 369 

him coming through the crowd, for he advanced against 790 
him covered with thick darkness, and stood behind and 
struck him with his flat hand upon the back and broad 
shoulders ', and his eyes swam round 2 . From his head 
Phoebus Apollo dashed the casque, and the beavered hel- 
met rattled, rolling under the horses' feet, and the crest 
was defiled with blood and dust. Never before had that 795 
happened to the helmet, crested with horse-hair, to be 
defiled in the dust ! For it had protected the head and the 
beautiful brow of the godlike man, Achilles ; and Jove 
then gave it to Hector to wear upon his head, though his own 
destruction was at hand. The whole of the long-shadowing 800 
spear, heavy, large, and bound with brass, was broken in 
his 3 hands ; and the shield, which reached to his heels, 
with its belt, fell upon the ground ; and king Apollo, the 
son of Jove, unbuckled * his corslet. And a stupor seized 805 
his brain, and his fair limbs were loosened under him, and 
he stood panic-struck. And a Dardan hero, Euphorbus, 
son of Panthus, who surpassed those of his age in the use 
of the spear, in horsemanship, and in swift feet, smote 
him, close to him, with his sharp spear, upon the back, 810 
between the shoulders — for even then he hurled twenty 
men from their horses, when he first came 5 in his car, and 
learnt the art of war; he first sent a spear at thee, O 
equestrian Patroclus, but subdued thee not; and he ran 
back again and mixed with the crowd, after plucking the 
ashen spear from the body ; nor awaited Patroclus, though 815 
now unarmed, in battle. And Patroclus, shaken by the 
blow of the god, and by the spear, retired back upon the 
column of his comrades, avoiding death. And Hector, 
when he perceived the brave Patroclus retiring back, 
wounded with a sharp spear, went through the ranks 
close up to him, and smote him with his javelin in the 820 
low r er part of the flank, and drove the brass quite through ; 

1 That part of the back which is between the shoulders. 

? Were whirled round to him. 3 Those of Patrnclu.--. 

* Loosened — unfastened. 5 First coming, &c. 



370 ILIAD XVI.— V. 822—851. 

and falling, he gave a sound, and greatly afflicted the 
people of the Achaeans. And as when a lion attacks a 
mighty boar in fight, and they, high-spirited, contend 
upon the summits of a mountain, for a little fountain — for 

825 both desire to drink — and the lion subdues by force the 
boar, panting much ; so Hector, son of Priam, close, with 
his spear, deprived of life the gallant son of Menoetius, 
who had slain many 6 ; and, boasting over him, uttered 
these winged words : 

830 " Patroclus, without doubt thou didst expect to lay 
waste our city, and to carry off, in thy ships, the Trojan 
women, depriving them of their freedom 7 , to thy loved 
native land. Fool ! for in defence of them, Hector's fleet 
steeds hasten with their feet to war, and I myself, who de- 

835 fend them from slavery 8 , am conspicuous among the war- 
loving Trojans with the spear. But thee the vultures 
shall here devour. Unhappy man ! Achilles, brave as he 
is, aids thee not — he who perchance, remaining behind, 
enjoined thee much on thy going — saying, ' Return not to 
me, O equestrian Patroclus, to the hollow ships, before 

840 thou hast cleft the bloody corslet upon the breast of man- 
slaying-Hector.' Thus, perhaps, he addressed thee, and 
persuaded thy foolish spirit V 

And to him, O noble Patroclus, didst thou, panting, 
say : " Now indeed, Hector, boast aloud, for Jove, son 

845 of Saturn, and Apollo, who subdued me easily, have given 
thee the victory ; for it was they who stript the armour 
from my shoulders. For if even twenty such as thou had 
opposed me, they would have all perished here, subdued 
by my spear. But destructive fate, and the son of La- 
tona, have slain me x , and of men, Euphorbus ; and thou, 

850 the third, dost spoil me now I am slain. Yet I will tell 
thee something else, and do thou cast it in thy mind. Not 

c Killing many. 7 Their free day. 

8 The day of necessity — slavery or death. 

9 Mind to the foolish. 

1 Destructive fate has slain me, and the son of Latona has slain me. 



ILIAD XVI.— V. 852— 80S. 371 

long, of a truth, shalt thou live 2 thyself, but death and 
violent fate already stand near thee, subdued by the hands 
of Achilles, the noble descendant of iEacus." 855 

Him then, having thus spoken, the end 3 of death 
covered. And his spirit departed to Hades, flying from 
his limbs, lamenting its fate, and quitting manhood and 
youth. Him, although dead, the illustrious Hector ad- 
dressed : 

" Why now, Patroclus, dost thou prophesy severe de- 860 
struction to me ? For who knows whether Achilles, the son 
of the fair-haired Thetis, may not first lose his life 4 , struck 
by my spear?" 

Thus having spoken, he plucked the brazen weapon 
from the wound, pressing him with his heel ; and thrust 
him prostrate 5 from the spear. Then immediately, with 865 
his lance, he went against Automedon, the godlike 
servant of the swift-footed descendant of JEacus, for he 
was eager to smite him. But the fleet immortal horses, 
which the gods gave to Peleus, splendid gifts, bore him 
quite away. 

2 Walk. :i The finish— or fiat. 

4 May go before to lose his life. 5 Supine — on his back. 



B b .2 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER 



BOOK XVIL 



ARGUMENT. 



A severe struggle for the body of Patroclus. Hector arms himself in 
Achilles' armour. Antiloehus is dispatched to inform Achilles of the 
death of Patroclus, and Menelaus and Meriones bear away the body, 
whilst the Ajaxes cover their retreat. 

Nor was Patroclus, subdued in battle by the Trojans, 
unobserved by the son of Atreus, the warlike Menelaus ; 
and he advanced through the foremost combatants, armed 
in shining brass. And round him then he stalked, like 
5 some dam round its young, having brought forth for 
the first time, moaning, not being before acquainted with 
parturition ; so stalked the yellow-haired Menelaus round 
Patroclus. And before him he held his spear and shield 
every where equal, eager to slay the man, whoever should 
come against him. Nor was the son of Panthus, of the 
10 good ashen spear, unobservant of the illustrious Patroclus 
fallen; but stood near him, and addressed the warlike 
Menelaus : 

" Menelaus, son of Atreus, noble-born, leader of people, 
retire, and quit the body, and give up the bloody spoils ; 
for none of the Trojans or their famous allies before me ! 

1 i. e. I was the first. 



ILIAD XVII.— V. 15—44. 373 

smote Patroclus with the spear in the fierce battle. Where- 15 
fore suffer me to bear away the glorious fame among 
the Trojans, lest I strike thee, and take away thy sweet 
life." 

And to him the yellow-haired Menelaus, very indignant, 
said : u Oh ! father Jove, it is not well to boast too proudly. 
Neither the spirit of a panther aims at so much, nor of a 20 
lion, nor of a destructive wild boar, whose mighty soul 
within his breast rages greatly in its strength, as do the 
spear-skilled sons of Panthus 2 . Yet the gallant, horse- 
taming Hyperenor enjoyed not his youth 3 , what time he 25 
insulted and awaited me, and said that I was the most 
contemptible warrior among the Danaans; nor, I think, 
did he, returning upon his feet, give pleasure to his be- 
loved wife and venerable parents. So assuredly I will 
loosen thy strength too, if thou standest against me. 
Therefore, I advise thee to retire, and go into the throng — 30 
nor stand against me — before thou sufferest some evil. 
What is done even a fool knows 4 ." 

Thus he spake, but persuaded him not ; for, answering, 
he addressed him : ee Now, at last, O noble-born Menelaus, 
shalt thou surely pay the penalty for my brother, whom 35 
thou slewest; and now, boasting, dost talk of it; and 
didst widow his beloved spouse in the recess of her recent 
bridal chamber, and inflicted intolerable grief and sorrow 
upon his parents. Surely some alleviation of grief to 
them, miserable, should I be, if bearing back thy head and 
armour, I throw them into the hands of Panthus and the 40 
noble Phrontis. No longer then shall the toil be untried, 
nor uncontested, of victory or of flight." 

So saying, he smote him upon the shield, on all sides 
equal, but pierced not the brass, for his point was bent in 

2 Nor does the force of the panther (sub. tppovti) think so much, &c. — as 
the sons of Panthus (<ppovtovai) think. 

3 i. e. he died prematurely — in early manhood. 

* i. e. experience teaches fools. He might take warning from the fate of 
his brother. 



374 ILIAD XVII.— V. 4 5— 78. 

45 the strong shield : and Menelaus, the son of Atreus, next 
attacked with his spear, after praying to father Jove. And 
he struck upon the lower part of his gullet as he stepped 
back 5 y and forced it onwards, trusting to his strong hand ; 
50 and the point went quite through his soft neck. And, fall- 
ing, he gave a sound, and his armour rang upon him. His 
locks, resembling the Graces, were wet with blood, and his 
curls, which were bound up with gold and silver. And 
55 as a man cherishes a blooming plant of olive, beautiful, 
flourishing, in a solitary spot, where water streams forth in 
abundance, and the breathings of all winds wave it, and it 
blossoms with a white flower ; and a wind, suddenly coming 
with a mighty blast, upturns it from the furrow, and 
stretches it upon the earth : such was the son of Panthus, 
60 the spear-skilled Euphorbus, whom Menelaus, the son of 
Atreus, when he had slain him, plundered of his armour. 
And as when a lion, mountain-bred, confident in his 
strength, carries off from a grazing herd the cow which is 
best ; and breaks its neck first, seizing it in his strong teeth, 
65 and then, tearing it in pieces, laps up the blood and all the 
entrails ; and dogs and shepherds around him, shout aloud 
at a distance, but will not go against him, for pale fear 
holds them fast 6 ; so the spirit in the bosom of none of 
them dared to advance against the glorious Menelaus. 
70 Then would the son of Atreus have borne off with ease the 
famous armour of the son of Panthus, had not Phcebus 
Apollo envied him — he who, in the semblance of the hero 
Mentes, leader of the Ciconians, immediately urged against 
him Hector, equal to fleet Mars; and, addressing him, 
uttered these winged words : 
75 " Hector, now thou thus runnest, pursuing 7 to no pur- 
pose the steeds of warlike ^Eacides. For they are difficult 
to be managed by mortal men, or to be driven by another 
besides Achilles, whom an immortal mother bore. Mean- 

5 The gullet of him, stepping back. 

Seizes them greatly. 

7 aKixrjra — adverbially — pursuing without any chance of overtaking." 



ILIAD XVII.— V. 79—108. 375 

while Menelaus, son of warlike Atreus, protecting Pa- 
troelus, has slain the bravest of the Trojans, Euphorbus, 80 
son of Panthus, and put a stop to his vigorous might. 

So saying the god again went back amid the toil of 
men ; and deep grief oppressed Hector in his clouded 
mind. And then he gazed along the ranks, and at orice 
observed the one bearing away the famous spoils, and the 85 
other lying upon the ground ; and the blood welled through 
the inflicted wound. And he advanced through the fore- 
most combatants, armed in glittering brass, like to the 
inextinguishable flame of Vulcan, shouting aloud. Nor 
thus shouting aloud did he escape the son of Atreus 8 ; 
and then, inwardly groaning, thus he spake to his own 90 
brave spirit : • 

" Ah me ! if I leave these rich spoils and Patroclus, who 
lies here for my honour 9 , 1 fear lest some of the Danaans 
who see it will blame me; and if, being alone, I fight, through 
a sense of honour, with Hector and the Trojans, I fear also 95 
lest many surround me while alone. Hither, however, 
the plumed Hector is leading all the Trojans. But where- 
fore does my soul talk of these things ? Whenever a man 
desires, in opposition to a god, to fight with a hero, whom 
a god honours, some great disaster is quickly rolled upon 
him ; therefore no one of the Danaans will blame me, who 100 
sees me retiring from Hector, for he combats with the help 
of a god l . But if I could any where hear the shout of 
the gallant Ajax, together, again returning, we would be 
mindful of battle even against a god, that, if possible, we 
might snatch off the body for the sake of Achilles, son of 
Peleus ; for that would be the best thing that could be 105 
done in our present troubles V* 

Whilst he deliberated these things in his mind and in 
his soul, the ranks of the Trojans, in the mean time, came 
on ; and Hector led the way. And Menelaus fell back, and 



8 i. e. While thus shouting, he was observed by the son of Atreus. 
y i. c. died in my cause. A. 159. l From a god. 

" It would be the most bearable of (our) evils. 



376 ILIAD XVII.— V. 109—139- 

quitted the corpse, looking round, like a long-bearded lion, 

110 which dogs and men drive from a fold with spears and cla- 
mour ; and his stout heart within his bosom shudders, and, 
unwilling, he departs from the pen : so the yellow-haired 
Menelaus retired from Patroclus. Wheeling round, how- 
ever, he stood, when he reached the column of his com- 

115 rades, gazing about for the mighty Ajax, son of Tela- 
mon ; and him he very speedily marked upon the left of 
the whole battle, encouraging his comrades, and exciting 
them to the fight : for Phoebus Apollo had cast a heaven- 
sent terror among them. And he went towards him 
in haste, and immediately standing near, uttered this 
speech : 

120 " Ajax, hither, friend, let us hasten in defence of 
dead Patroclus, and try if we can bear his naked body 
to Achilles; for his armour the plumed Hector has 
gotten/ 5 

Thus he spake, and roused the courage of the warlike 
Ajax; and he advanced through the foremost combatants, 
and with him the yellow-haired Menelaus. Hector, in- 

125 deed, after he had stript off the noble armour, was 
dragging along Patroclus, that with his sharp sword * he 
might lop the head from the shoulders, and, carrying off 
the body, give it to the Trojan dogs ; but Ajax came near, 
bearing his shield, like a tower. And Hector, backing, 

130 retreated into the throng of his comrades, and sprang 
into his car; and he gave the handsome armour to the 
Trojans to carry to the city, to be a great glory to himself. 
And Ajax, covering Menaetiades around with his broad 
shield, stood like some lion over 4 her young; against 

135 which, when leading her whelps, huntsmen rush together in 
the forest, and he rages in his might, and draws down all 
his eyebrows, covering his eyes : so Ajax strode round the 
hero Patroclus. And on the other side stood the son of 
Atreus, warlike Menelaus, giving way to the deep grief 
in his bosom. 

3 Brass. * Round, or in defence of. 



ILIAD XVII.— V. UO—170. 377 

And Glaucus, son of Hippolochus, leader of the Lycian 140 

warriors, looking sternly at Hector, upbraided him in this 
severe speech : 

u Hector, best as to form, thou art in truth greatly 
wanting in battle 5 : surely without reason is thy fame 
great, skulker as thou art 6 . Consider now, how alone 
with the people who are natives in Ilium, thou canst pre- 145 
serve thy state and city, for none of the Lycians will any 
longer go to fight with the Danaans for thy town; for 
indeed there are no thanks for combating ever incessantly 
amid hostile warriors. How indeed, hard-hearted, wilt thou 
preserve an inferior man, in the crowd, when thou didst 150 
abandon Sarpedon, at once thy guest and companion, to be 
a prey and booty to the Argives ; who, w r hen alive, was a 
great advantage to thy city and thyself; and now T thou 
darest not drive away the dogs from him. Wherefore 
now, if the Lycian warriors 7 will be persuaded by me, 155 
we will go home ; and terrible destruction will soon come 
upon Troy. For if now there was in the Trojans that 
daring, determined valour w r hich enters into heroes, who 
in defence of their country undertake toil, and combat 
against their foes, we might immediately drag Patroclus 
into Ilium. And were he, dead, to come into the vast 160 
city of king Priam, and could we drag him from the bat- 
tle, soon would the Argives restore the beautiful armour of 
Sarpedon, and we might carry himself into Troy ; for slain 
is the comrade of such a man, as is by far the bravest of 
the Argives at the ships, and whose servants are close- J 65 
fighting combatants. But thou darest not stand against 
the brave Ajax, beholding his eyes amid the battle of the 
enemy, nor combat in opposition to him ; for he is always 
more valiant than thou." 

And to him the plumed Hector, looking sternly, said : 
" Why dost such 8 a man as thou speak, Glaucus, thus 170 

5 ff'X'/C — *'• £• courage for battle. 

6 He was retreating at the approach of Ajax and Menelaus. 

' rtr Aw. 8 Being such — i. e, as to prudence. 



378 ILIAD XVII.— V. 171—202. 

proudly ? Truly, friend, I thought thou wert in understand- 
ing above all others, who inhabit fertile Lycia ; but now 
I must find fault with thy understanding altogether, in 
what thou hast just spoken — since thou 9 sayest that I 

] 75 dare not abide the mighty Ajax. Never have I dreaded 
the battle, nor the tumult of horses ; but always superior 
is the counsel of aegis-bearing Jove, who puts to flight 
even the brave man, and easily takes from him the victory, 
even when he himself impels him to fight. Come hither 
then friend, stand by me, and behold my conduct \ Either 

180 I shall be an eternal 2 coward, as thou sayest, or I will 
stop some of the Danaans, though very eager in valour, 
from the defence of dead Patroclus." 

So saying, he animated the Trojans, loudly exclaiming : 
a Ye Trojans and Lycians, and close-figMing Dardans, be 

185 men, my friends, and be mindful of your best energies, 
whilst I put on the beautiful armour of the illustrious 
Achilles, which I have taken as spoil, slaying the mighty 
Patroclus." 

Thus then having spoken, the plumed Hector departed 
from the glowing battle ; and, running, at no great dis- 

190 tance, pursuing with rapid feet, very quickly overtook his 
comrades, who were bearing towards the city the noble 
armour of Achilles. Then standing apart from the tearful 
battle, he changed his armour. His own indeed he gave 
to the war-loving Trojans to carry towards sacred Ilium : 

1 95 and he put on the immortal arms of Achilles, soil of Peleus, 
which the heavenly gods had given to his beloved father, 
and he, afterwards, growing old, presented them to his 
own son ; but the son grew not old in the armour of his 
father. 

And him then, when the cloud-collecting Jove beheld, 

200 arrayed in the armour of the divine Pelides, shaking his 
head, he thus communed with his own mind : 

" Alas ! unhappy man, the death, which is now at hand 



og re. l Work, - A coward all day, or every day. 

12 



ILIAD XVII.— V. 203—233. 379 

to thee, is not in thy mind ; and thou puttest on the im- 
mortal armour of the bravest hem, whom others also 
tremble at; whose companion thou hast now slain, a hero 
both gentle and brave, and hast insultingly 3 stript the 205 
armour from his head and shoulders. Nevertheless I will 
at present bestow upon thee a great victory, as a compen- 
sation for these things, because Andromache will never 
receive from thee, returning from battle, the noble armour 
of the son of Peleus." 

The son of Saturn spake, and moreover nodded with his 
dark brows. And the armour fitted the body of Hector, 210 
and Mars, the horrid warrior, entered into him. And his 
limbs were then filled within with vigour and strength, 
and he went among the illustrious allies, shouting aloud ; 
and to all of them he appeared, glittering in his armour, 
like the brave son of Peleus. And going among them, 215 
he animated each with his words, Mesthles, and Glau- 
cus, and Medon, and Thersilochus, and Asteropaeus, and 
Deisenor, and Hippothous, and Phorcys, and Chromius, 
and Ennomus the augur. These exhorting, he addressed 
in winged words : 

" Hear, ye numerous troops of allies, dwelling around, 220 
for I assembled ye not here, each from your own cities, 
seeking or desiring a multitude; but that ye might promptly 
defend for me the wives and young children of the Trojans 
from the warlike Achaeans. Thinking thus *, I exhaust 225 
my people by gifts to you, and provisions, and satisfy the 
desire of each of you. Wherefore now let every one, turn- 
ing right against the enemy, either perish or be saved ; for 
that is the business of war. And whosoever shall drag 
Patroclus, although dead, among the horse-taming Tro- 230 
jans, and to whomsoever Ajax shall yield, to him I will 
present one-half of the spoils, and will myself retain 
the other half ; and to him shall be as much glory as to 
myself." 

3 Not according to propriety. 

1 I. e. with this view — or, for this purpose. 



380 ILIAD XVII.— V. 234—263. 

Thus he spake ; and lifting their spears, they advanced 
with impetuosity right against the Danaans ; and their souls 

235 hoped to drag away the corpse from Telamonian Ajax — 
foolish men — truly upon it (the corpse) he took away the 
life of many. And Ajax then addressed Menelaus, brave 
in battle : 

" O my friend^ O noble-born Menelaus, no longer do I 
expect that we shall ourselves return from battle. Not so 

240 much do I fear for the dead body of Patroclus, which will 
soon glut the dogs and birds of the Trojans, as I fear for 
my own head, lest it suffer aught, and for thine; for 
Hector, that cloud of war, covers all things round 5 ; and 

245 to us again terrible destruction becomes manifest. Come 
then, summon the bravest of the Danaans, if any one will 
hear." 

Thus he spake, nor did the gallant Menelaus refuse ; 
and he shouted, crying with a loud voice, among the Da- 
naans : 

" O friends, leaders and chieftains of the Argives, who 
beside the Atrides, Agamemnon and Menelaus, drink the 

250 public wine 6 , and give orders, each to his forces, and whom 
honour and glory attend from Jove 7 . It were, indeed, a 
hard matter for me to look up each of the leaders, because 
so great a contest of war is raging. But let each himself 

255 advance, and let him feel indignation in his mind, that Pa- 
troclus should be the sport of Trojan dogs." 

Thus he spake ; and swift Ajax, son of Oileus, quickly 
heard, and first went to meet 8 him, running through the 
battle ; and after him came Idomeneus, and Meriones, the 
armour-bearer of Idomeneus, equal to Mars, the slayer of 

260 men. But who in his mind might tell the names of the 
others as many of the Acheeans as afterwards stirred up 
the fight ? And the Trojans in close order first charged, 
and Hector led them on. 

* Or — Hector covers — or throws the cloud of war round all. 

6 i. e. at the public cost. 

7 A. 97- 8 ai'Ttos — opposite. 



ILIAD XVII.— V. 264—296. 381 

And as when at the mouths of a nobly-flowing river the 
mighty billow roars against the stream, and the extreme 265 
shores around bellow, the sea dashing out upon the land — so 
great arose the clamour of the Trojans. And the Achaeans 
stood round the son of Mencetius, with one mind, pro- 
tected 9 by their brazen shields ; and over their glittering 
helmets the son of Saturn poured much darkness. For 270 
neither before was he hostile to Mencetiades, whilst alive, 
when he was the attendant of Achilles ; nor did he then 
hate him so as to become a prey to the Trojan dogs of his 
enemies ; and therefore he excited his comrades to defend 
him. But the Trojans first repulsed the brave Achaeans ; 275 
and they, leaving the body, fell back ; nor did the brave 
Trojans, eager as they were, slay any of them with their 
spears, but dragged away the body. A little while only, 
however, were the Achaeans to be away from him, for Ajax 
very speedily rallied them — he who, next to the renowned 280 
son of Peleus, was superior to the other Danaans in person 
and in deeds. And he burst right through the foremost 
combatants, in might resembling a wild boar, which, in the 
mountains, easily scatters the dogs and vigorous youths, 
turning to the attack, through the glens; so the son of 
noble Telamon, illustrious Ajax, charging, easily routed 
the phalanxes of the Trojans who surrounded 1 Patroclus, 285 
and were in full expectation 2 to drag him towards their 
city, and to bear aw r ay renown. Him, in the mean time, 
Hippothous, the distinguished son of Pelasgian Lethus, 
was dragging by the foot through the brave battle, having 
bound him with a thong at the ankle round the sinews, 290 
gratifying Hector and the Trojans. But evil soon came 
upon him, which no one of them, though eager, warded 
off from him : for the son of Telamon, rushing through the 
crow r d, close to him, smote him through the brazen- 
cheeked helmet. And the helmet, crested with horse- 295 
hair, was cleft by the point of the weapon, smitten by the 

9 Hedged — forming a line. ' Who went round. 

2 Most (or fully) thought. 



382 ILIAD XVII.— V. 297—327. 

mighty spear, and a powerful hand, and the bloody brain 
spouted from the wound, beside the cone 3 ; and then his 
strength was loosened. And from his hands he dropped 

300 the foot of the brave Patroclus to lie upon the earth, and 
himself near it (the foot) fell prone upon the corse, far 
from fertile Larissa : nor to his beloved parents did he 
make return for his support, for short was the life of him, 
subdued by the spear of the brave Ajax. And Hector 

305 again hurled his shining spear at Ajax ; but he, seeing it 
coming, avoided, by a small space, the brazen javelin ; for 
Hector hit Schedius, son of brave Iphitus, by far the 
bravest of the Phoceans, who inhabited mansions in the 
renowned Panopeus, governing many men. Him he struck 
in the middle of the clavicle, and the brazen point of the 

310 weapon went quite through at the extremity of the shoul- 
der ; and falling, he gave a sound, and his arms rang over 
him. And Ajax, again, struck upon the middle of the belly 
the warlike Phorcys, son of Phaenops, while defending 
Hippothous. And he burst the cavity of his corslet, and 

315 the weapon drank his entrails through it; and falling amid 
the dust, he grasped the earth with his palm. And back 
fell the foremost combatants and illustrious Hector; and 
the Argives loudly shouted, and dragged away the bodies, 
both Phorcys and Hippothous, and stripped the armour 
from their shoulders. 

320 Then again would the Trojans, routed by the warlike 
Achaeans, have gone into Ilium, subdued through their 
cowardice ; and the Argives, by their own valour and 
might, would have obtained glory even in spite of the 
destiny of Jove ; but Apollo himself — like in person to 
Periphas the herald, son of Epytis, who in his mind know- 

325 ing kind counsels 4 , had grown old, as a herald, with his 
aged father — stirred up ^Eneas. In the likeness of him, 
Apollo, son of Jove, addressed him: 

3 The part of the helmet in which the crest was inserted — unless av\ov 
be taken metaphorically, and by irap av\ov be meant the stream of blood, 
as from a pipe, 4 i e. out of filial regard. 



ILIAD XVII.— V. 328—357. 383 

" yEneas, O that ye would defend the lofty Ilium, even 
■gainst a god, as I have before seen other men do, trusting 
in their bravery, their might, and manhood, and their 330 
number, even with far inferior troops ! And to us, much 
more than to the Danaans, Jove wills the victory ; but it is 
ye yourselves who are quite panic-struck, and fight not." 

Thus he spake ; and yEneas, seeing him before him, 
recognised the far-darting Apollo ; and loudly shouting, 
addressed Hector : 

u O Hector, and ye other leaders of the Trojans and 335 
allies, this now is indeed disgrace, to be driven 5 into 
Ilium by the warlike Achaeans, subdued by our own cow- 
ardice ; for again one of the gods, standing near me, declares, 
that Jove the high counsellor is our assistant in the battle. 
Therefore let us march right against the Danaans, nor let 340 
them, undisturbed 6 , remove the dead Patroclus to the 
ships." 

Thus he spake, and then springing forward, stood far in 
front of the foremost combatants. And they rallied 7 , and 
confronted the Danaans. Then, again, /Eneas wounded 
with his spear Leocritus, son of Arisbas, the gallant com- 345 
rade of Lycomedes. And him thus falling, the warlike 
Lycomedes pitied, and advancing very near, he stood, and 
darted with his shining spear, and smote Apisaon, son of 
Hippasus, a shepherd of people, upon the liver, below the 
chest, and immediately loosened his limbs beneath him. 
He had come from fertile Paeonia, and, next to Asteropaaus, 350 
was the bravest in battle 8 . And him thus falling, the war- 
like Asteropaeus pitied, and forward he sprang, prompt to 
combat with the Danaans. Yet was he no longer able, for 
those standing around Patroclus were hedged round in 
every direction with shields, and held their spears before 355 
them ; for Ajax went eagerly among all, animating them 
greatly. He gave orders that neither any should fall 

5 To go into — I. e. made to go into. c Quiet. 

7 Were turned. 8 Was the bravest to fight. 



384 ILIAD XVII.— V. 358—390. 

back from the body, nor any of the Achaeans fight in 
front before the rest, but vigorously to protect 9 it, and to 

360 combat hand to hand. Thus the mighty Ajax gave com- 
mand ; and the ground was drenched with purple blood, 
for one upon another fell the bodies of the Trojans and 
courageous allies, and of the Danaans : for neither did they 
fight bloodlessly, although far fewer perished, because they 
were always mindful throughout the throng to repel severe 

365 toil from one another. 

Thus indeed they fought like a fire, nor wouldst thou 
have said that either sun or moon was safe, for in the 
combat they were wrapt in darkness, as many of the 
bravest as stood round the dead Menoetiades. But the 

370 other Trojans and well-armed Achaeans fought free be- 
neath a clear atmosphere ; and the sharp splendour of the 
sun was extended over them, and there appeared not a 
cloud over all the earth or the mountains. Ceasing occa- 
sionally, they fought, shunning each others' grievous wea- 

375 pons, and standing far apart ; whilst those in the centre 

suffered distresses from darkness and from war, and were 

afflicted with the fierce sword, as many as were the bravest. 

And two warriors, glorious men, Thrasymedes and Anti- 

lochus, had not yet heard of the renowned Patroclus dying ; 

380 but supposed that, still alive, he was fighting with the 
Trojans in the foremost throng. For they, providing 
against the slaughter and rout of their comrades, fought 
apart ', since Nestor had so commanded, urging others on 
to battle from the black ships. But to the rest all day 

385 the mighty contest of severe battle arose ; and ever cease- 
lessly the knees, and the legs, and the feet of each under 
him, and the hands and the eyes of those combating round 
the brave comrade of the swift-footed iEacides, were de- 
filed with fatigue and sweat. And as when a man gives 

390 the skin of a huge ox, soaked with oil, to his people to 

9 But to go much about him. 

1 i. e. from those who were fighting round Patroclus. 



ILIAD XVII.— V. 391—422. 385 

stretch ', and they, receiving, stretch it, standing asunder 
in a circle, and immediately the moisture comes out, and 
the oil enters 3 , many pulling it, till it is all thoroughly 
stretched ; so they, on both sides, dragged the body here 
and there, within a small space ; for the mind of the Tro- 395 
jans, on the one hand, eagerly desired to drag him towards 
Ilium, and of the Achaeans, on the other, towards the 
hollow barks. And round him a wild tumult arose ; nei- 
ther would Mars, the exciter of troops, nor Minerva, be- 
holding it, have found fault, even although anger had par- 
ticularly seized her ; such destructive toil of men and 400 
horses Jove extended on that day over Patroclus. Nor as 
yet did the noble Achilles at all know that Patroclus was 
dead ; for, far from the swift ships, they fought under the 
wall of the Trojans. Wherefore never did he suppose in 
his mind that he was dead ; but that, after approaching the 405 
gates, he would return back alive, since he did not at all 
expect that without him, nor with him, he would destroy 
the city ; for he had frequently learned this from his mother, 
hearing it in secret, who used to tell him the design of 
mighty Jove. Then however did his mother not tell to 410 
him so great an evil as had happened, that the comrade, 
by far most dear to him, had perished. 

And ever round the body, holding their sharp spears, they 
charged incessantly, and slaughtered one another, and thus 
some 4 of the brazen-mailed Achaeans said : 

ee O, friends, surely it will not be honourable for us to 41 5 
retreat to the hollow ships ; rather let the black earth here 
yawn for all. That would be at once better for us, than to 
leave him to the Trojans, tamers of steeds, to drag to their 
city, and to obtain glory " 

And thus also some of the brave Trojans said : 420 

" O friends, even if it be our fate for all to be subdued 
together, beside this man, never let any one retire from 



e. instead of pegging it on the ground. 
e. into the pores. * tiq — indefinitely 

C C 



386 ILIAD XVII.— V. 423—454. 

the battle." So then some said, and roused the valour of 
their comrades. 

Thus they fought ; and an iron crash reached through 

425 the unfruitful air to the brazen heaven. And the horses of 
^Eacides being apart from the combat, wept, when first 
they perceived that their charioteer had fallen in the dust, 
beneath Hector, slayer of heroes."" Automedon, indeed, the 
brave son of Diores, urged them much, flogging them with 

430 the sharp lash, and often addressed them in soothing terms, 
and often with threats ; but they chose neither to go back 
towards the ships and the wide Hellespont, nor to battle 
among the Achaeans ; but, as a pillar remains immoveable, 

435 which stands at the tomb of a dead man or woman, so 
remained they keeping the splendid car without motion, 
and bending their heads to the earth. And hot tears 
flowed from their eyes to the earth, as they complained for 
the loss of their charioteer 5 ; and the thick mane of both 

440 was denied, flowing down on both sides from the collar at 
the yoke. And the son of Saturn beholding them lament- 
ing, felt compassion, and shaking his head, spoke thus to 
himself 6 : 

" Ah ! wretched pair ; why did we give you to Peleus, 
a mortal king, for ye are exempt from old age and death 7 ? 

445 Was it that ye might endure sorrows with unhappy men ? 
For nothing is there more subject to calamity than man, 
of all things, as many as breathe and crawl upon the earth. 
Nevertheless, Hector, son of Priam, shall not be carried 
by you, and in your curiously-wrought car, for I will not 

450 allow it. Is it not enough that he both possesses the armour, 
and boasts in this way ? I will put vigour therefore into 
your knees and souls, that ye may carry Automedon safely 
from the battle to the hollow ships ; for I shall still give 
glory to them (the Trojans) to slay, until they reach the 

5 The tears flowed warmly from their eyes to the earth, to them com- 
plaining, from desire of their charioteer. 
8 To his own mind. 
7 But ye are free from age, and immortal. 



ILIAD XVII.— V. 455— 4S5. 387 

well-benched ships, and the sun set, and sacred darkness 455 
comes on." 

So saying, he breathed strong vigour into the steeds : 
and they, shaking the dust from their manes to the ground, 
quickly bore the rapid car among the Trojans and Achaeans. 
And against them (Trojans) fought Automedon, grieved 
for his comrade, rushing along with the horses, like an 460 
eagle among geese. For easily did he both escape from 
the tumult of the Trojans, and easily, when pursuing, did 
he charge through the mighty throng. Yet he slew not 
men when he rushed in pursuit 8 ; for it was not possible 
for him, being alone in the sacred car, to attack with his 465 
spear, and to control the fleet horses. But at last, a com- 
rade, the hero Alcimedon, son of Laerceus, son of ^Emon, 
beheld him with his eyes ; and he stood behind the car, 
and addressed Automedon : 

u Which of the gods, O Automedon, hast put this fool- 
ish scheme in thy bosom, and taken from thee thy good 470 
senses ? How canst thou thus alone fight in the foremost 
throng with the Trojans ? For thy comrade is slain ; and 
Hector himself, with the armour of Achilles upon his 
shoulders, is exulting." 

And to him, in reply, Automedon, the son of Diores, 
said : " Alcimedon, what other of the Achasans is equal to 475 
thee to control the spirit 9 of immortal horses, save Patro- 
clus, whilst alive, in skill equal to the gods ? And now, 
on the contrary, death and fate possess him. Do thou then 
take the lash and beautiful reins, and I will dismount from 480 
the horses to fight l " 

Thus he spake, and Alcimedon, ascending the chariot, 
rapid in war, forthwith took in his hands the lash and 
reins, and Automedon sprang down : and illustrious 
Hector marked, and immediately addressed ^Eneas, who 
was near 2 . 

" ^Eneas, counsellor of the brazen-mailed Trojans, I 485 

8 To pursue. ° To have the control and spirit — or strength, &c. 

1 i. e. on foot. 2 Being near. 

c c 2 



388 ILIAD XVII.— V. 48G— 51-.. 

have observed these steeds of Achilles proceeding through 
the battle with unskilful charioteers. Therefore I may 
hope to capture them, if thou wilt help me 3 ; for they will 

490 not dare, standing against us, to engage in combat with us 
both rushing upon them." 

Thus he spake ; nor did the brave son of Anchises 
disobey. Both straight advanced, having their shoulders 
covered with bulls' hides, dry, thick: and upon them 
much brass was plated*. And along with them went both 

495 Chromius and the godlike Aretus ; and their minds greatly 
hoped to slay the warriors, and to drive away the lofty- 
necked horses. Fools ; for they were then not without 
blood to return from Automedon ; for he, praying to 
Father Jove, was filling his dark 5 mind with courage and 

500 strength, and immediately addressed Alcimedon, his faith- 
ful comrade : 

" Keep not now, O Alcimedon, the steeds far from me, 
but breathing closely at my back ; for I suspect that Hec- 
tor, the son of Priam, will not desist from his might, before, 

505 having slain both of us, he mount the beautiful horses of 
Achilles, and put to rout the ranks of Argive heroes ; or 
himself be slain among the foremost." 

So saying, he called upon the Ajaxes and Menelaus : 
" Ye Ajaxes, leaders of the Argives, and Menelaus, com- 

510 mit the dead body to those who are bravest, to defend it 
on all sides 6 , and to repulse the ranks of men ; but ward 
ye off the cruel day from us two who are alive. For hither 
press through the tearful battle Hector and iEneas, who 
are the mightiest of the Trojans. But these matters 

515 truly rest upon the knees 7 of the gods; and therefore 



3 Wouldst with thy mind. 

* And much brass was drawn over — i. e. many a plate of brass was laid 
upon them. 

5 Dark all round. 

6 To walk round it in defence. 

7 The image must have been in a sitting posture — the knees were touched 
by the supplicant — or offerings were laid upon them. 



ILIAD XVII.— V. 516—544. 389 

I also will dart, and all these things will be the care of 

Jove 8 ." 

He said ; and, brandishing, hurled his long spear, and 
struck upon the shield of Aretus, every where equal, 
which repelled not the spear, but the brass pierced it 
quite, and passed through the belt into the bottom of his 
belly. And as when a vigorous man, holding a sharp axe, 520 
cuts through the whole tendon, striking behind the horns 
of a wild bull, and, springing forward, it falls; so he, 
springing forward, fell flat ; and the sharp-cutting spear, 
quivering in his entrails, relaxed his limbs. And Hector 525 
hurled his shining spear at Automedon ; but he, observing 
it coming, avoided the brazen weapon, for he stooped for- 
ward. And the long spear was fixed in the ground behind 
him ; and the butt of the spear shook ; and there the 
strong spear then spent its force. And now would they 530 
have charged hand to hand with their swords, had not the 
fierce 9 Ajaxes separated them, who came through the 
throng, at the call of their comrade. Back again retired 
Hector and ^Eneas, and the godlike Chromius, very 
fearful of these, and left Aretus lying there with his 
heart cleft asunder ' : and Automedon, equal to swift 535 
Mars, stript him of his armour, and, boasting, uttered this 
speech : 

u Surely now I have in a small degree freed my heart 
from sorrow for the dead son of Mencetius, although I have 
killed 2 but an inferior person." 

So saying, and seizing the bloody spoils, he laid them 540 
in the car, and mounted himself, with his feet, and hands 
above stained with blood, like some lion which has de- 
voured a bull 3 . And again over Patroclus was stretched 
a direful battle, severe, lamentable ; and Minerva ani- 



8 i. e. I will throw, and let Jove determine as he will. 

The Ajaxes eager. 1 Cleft as to his heart. 

2 Killing ail inferior. 

3 Bloody a- to his feet and hands above, like some lion, having quite 
eaten a hull. 



390 ILIAD XVII.— V. 545—577. 

545 mated the fight, descending from heaven, for the far- 
sounding Jove sent her forth to stir up the Danaans, for 
at last his mind was turned this way. Like the purple 
rainbow which Jove stretches from heaven over mortals, to 
be a sign either of war, or even of a chilling storm ; which 

550 causes men to cease from their works upon the earth, and 
distresses the cattle ; so she, shrouding herself in a purple 
cloud, entered the army of the Achaeans, and animated 
every man. And first she addressed the son of Atreus, the 
gallant Menelaus, exciting him, for he perchance was near 

555 her, assimilating her form and unwearied voice to Phoenix : 
" Shame and disgrace now will surely be thine 4 , O 
Menelaus, if the swift dogs tear the faithful comrade of the 
illustrious Achilles beneath the wall of the Trojans ; there- 
fore hold on bravely, and urge on all the people." 

560 And her, in return, the gallant Menelaus addressed : 
(i Phoenix, father, sage of other days 5 , O that Minerva 
would give me strength, and would stem the force of the 
weapons. Then indeed would I myself be willing to stand 
near, and to defend Patroclus ; for greatly has he, d}dng, 

565 distressed my mind. But Hector has the dreadful force of 
fire, nor ceases from slaughtering with his spear : for Jove 
bestows upon him glory." 

Thus he spake; and the blue-eyed goddess Minerva 
rejoiced, because to her first, of all the gods, he had 
offered a petition. And in his shoulders and knees she put 

570 strength, and placed in his bosom the daring of a fly, 
which although often driven away from a human body 
persists in biting, for the blood of man is sweet to it 6 . 
With such confidence she filled his dark bosom 7 ; and he 
advanced towards Patroclus, and threw his glittering 

575 spear. And there was among the Trojans one Podes, 
son of Eetion, rich and brave; and Hector particularly 
honoured him among his people, for he was his beloved 

4 Be to thee. 5 Old man born long ago. 

fi *. «. he is attracted by its sweetness. 

7 She filled him as to his bosom, dark around. 




ILIAD XVII.— V. 578—608. 391 

companion at the board. Him then the yellow-haired 
Menelaus smote upon the belt when hastening to fight, 
and drove the weapon quite through. And he, falling, 580 
gave a sound, and Menelaus, son of Atreus, dragged away 
the body from among the Trojans to the column of his 
comrades. 

And Apollo animated Hector, standing near him in the 
likeness of Phoenops, the son of Asius, who, inhabiting 
mansions at Abydos, was dearest to him of all his foreign 
friends. To him having assimilated himself, the far-dart- 585 
ing Apollo addressed him : 

ei Hector, what other of the Achaean s will any more fear 
thee ? How is it that thou hast now fled from Menelaus, 
who formerly was but an effeminate warrior, but now de- 
parts, bearing off alone a dead body from among the Tro- 
jans, and has slain, among the foremost combatants, Podes, 
son of Eetion, thy comrade, faithful and brave." 590 

Thus he spake ; and a dark cloud of anguish enveloped 
Hector, and he went among the foremost combatants, 
armed in glittering brass. 

And then the son of Saturn seized his fringed, splendid 
JEgis, and wrapt Ida in clouds ; and darting his lightning, 
he thundered very loudly ; and shook it, and gave victory 595 
to the Trojans, and routed the Achaeans. 

First Peneleus, the Boeotian, began the flight ; for he 
was wounded slightly on the top of the shoulder with a 
spear, ever turning towards the front ; and the spear of QOO 
Polydamas grazed the bone, for, coming near, he had smit- 
ten him. Next Hector wounded Lei'tus, son of the brave 
Alectryon, in the hand by the wrist, and made him cease 
from combat. And fearful he fled, gazing around, for he 
no longer hoped in his mind to fight with the Trojans, 
holding a spear in his hand. And Idomeneus struck Hec- 605 
tor upon the corslet, at the breast, near the pap, while 
pursuing after Le'itus. And the long spear snapped at the 
juncture of the point and shaft 8 ; and the Trojans shouted ; 

8 The place where the wood and steel are joined. 

12 



392 ILIAD XVII.— V. 609—638. 

and Hector cast at Idomeneus, son of Deucalion, standing 

610 in his chariot. From him he erred a little ; but struck 
Coeranus, the comrade and driver of Meriones, who had 
followed him from well-inhabited Lyctus. For at first, 
leaving the ships impelled on both sides by oars, he (Ido~ 
meneusj had come on foot, and would have given great 

615 glory to the Trojans, had not Coeranus speedily driven up 
his fleet horses. And he arrived as a means of safety to 
him, and repelled the cruel day ; but he himself lost his 
life by the hand of the man-slaying Hector. Him he 
(Hector) smote under the cheek and ear, and the extremity 
of the javelin dashed out his teeth, and cut through the 

620 middle of his tongue. And he fell from the chariot, and 
the reins dropt upon the ground ; and Meriones, bending 
down, took them in his hands from the plain, and addressed 
Idomeneus : 

" Now drive 9 till thou comest to the swift ships : for 
even thou thyself perceivest that victory is no longer with 
the Achaeans." 

Thus he spake, and Idomeneus lashed the fair steeds 

625 towards the hollow ships, for fear had now fallen upon his 
mind. Nor did Jove escape 1 the brave Ajax and Mene- 
laus, when now he sent Victory 2 an auxiliary to the Tro- 
jans ; and the mighty Telamonian Ajax began speaking in 
these words : 

" Alas ! even he who is quite a fool may now know, that 

630 father Jove himself helps the Trojans. For the weapons 
of all of them hit their mark, whoever hurls them, good 
or bad ; and Jove, without doubt, guides them all aright ; 
whilst all ours fall quite ineffectual to the earth. Come 

635 then, let us ourselves deliberate upon the best plan, both 
how we may drag away the body, and ourselves may return 
and gladden 3 our beloved comrades, who perhaps are griev- 
ing, looking hither, nor longer expect that we can with- 



Now drive with the lash. 1 Nor did Jove elude the observation of. 

Gave — Victory is personified, 3 We returning may be a joy to, &c. 



ILIAD XVII.— V. 039— 670. 393 

stand the might and invincible hands of Hector, the slayer 
of men, but must fall back upon the black ships. Would 640 
that there were some comrade who would carry a message 
with all speed to the son of Peleus ; for I do not think he 
has yet learned the sad intelligence, that his dear comrade 
has perished. But no where can I behold such a man 
among the Achaeans, for they and their steeds are alike 
enveloped in darkness. O father Jove, free thou the sons 645 
of the Achaeans from darkness, and make a clear atmo- 
sphere, and grant us to see with our eyes ; and in light 
even destroy us, since thus it is thy pleasure/ 5 

Thus he spake ; and the father felt compassion for him 
weeping, and immediately dissipated the darkness, and re- 
moved the cloud. And the sun shone forth, and the whole 650 
battle was displayed ; and x\jax then addressed the gallant 
Menelaus : 

u Look around now, noble-born Menelaus, if any where 
thou canst behold, yet alive, Antilochus, the son of brave 
Nestor. And urge him to go quick, and tell to the warlike 
Achilles, that the comrade, by far most dear to him, has 655 
perished. 55 

Thus he spake ; nor did the gallant Menelaus refuse. 
And he hastened to go, like some lion from a fold, which 
— when he grows weary, attacking dogs and men, who, 
watching all night, suffer him not to carry off the fat oxen 4 , 
and he, eager for food 5 pushes on, but profits not aught ; 660 
for many javelins fly against him from daring hands, and 
blazing torches, which, eager as he is, he dreads — in the 
morning departs away with a sorrowing mind. So, most 
unwilling, from Patroclus went the brave Menelaus ; for he 665 
greatly feared lest the Achaeans, through afflicting terror, 
should leave him a prey to the enemy. Much, therefore, 
he exhorted Meriones and the Ajaxes : 

u Ye Ajaxes, leaders of the Argives, and Meriones, 
now let every one be mindful of the kindness of the un- 
happy Patroclus. For when alive, he understood how to 670 

4 The fatness of the oxen. 5 Flesh. 



394 ILIAD XVII.— V. 671—703. 

be gentle to all; now, on the contrary, death and fate 
possess him." 

Thus then having spoken, the yellow-haired Menelaus 
departed, gazing round in all directions, like an eagle, 

675 which, they say, sees the sharpest of towering birds, and 
which, though being aloft, the swift-footed hare eludes 
not, when sitting below the leafy copse ; but he pounces 
upon it, and quickly seizing it, deprives it of life. So, 

680 O Jove-supported Menelaus, were thy shining eyes turned 
round in all directions through the army of thy numerous 
comrades, searching if any where thou couldst behold the 
son of Nestor yet alive. And him very speedily he marked 
upon the left of all the battle, animating his comrades, and 
urging them to fight; and standing near, yellow-haired 
Menelaus addressed him : 

685 ee Come hither 6 , O Antilochus, noble-born hero, that thou 
mayst learn the sad intelligence, which ought not to have 
been. I suppose that even thou thyself, beholding it, art 
now aware that a god rolls disaster upon the Danaans, and 
that victory is the Trojans 5 ; for Patroclus, the bravest of 

690 the Achaeans, is slain, and great sorrow has befallen the 
Danaans. Do thou then tell it quickly to Achilles, running 
to the ships of the Achaeans, and see if he will rescue and 
bring the naked body, with all haste, to his ship ; for as to 
the armour, the plumed Hector possesses it." 

Thus he spake ; and Antilochus shuddered with horror, 

695 hearing the intelligence. And long did a want of words 
hold him; and his eyes were filled with tears, and his 
liquid voice was checked. Yet not even thus did he dis- 
regard the command of Menelaus; but hastened to run, 
and gave his armour to Laodocus, his good comrade, who 

700 managed, near at hand, the solid-hoofed horses. Him, 
weeping, his feet bore from the combat, to report the evil 
tidings to Achilles, son of Peleus. 

Nor, O noble-born Menelaus, was thy mind willing to 
assist the harassed comrades from whom Antilochus had 

6 £i d', &c. — if you please, come, &c. 



ILIAD XVII.— V. 704—734. 395 

departed, and great want of him was occasioned to the 
Pylians ; but he (Menelaus) committed them to the charge 705 
of the noble Thrasymedes, and went again himself towards 
the hero Patroclus ; and running, he stood beside the 
Ajaxes, and immediately addressed them : 

" Him, indeed, I have now dispatched to the swift ships, 
to go to Achilles, fleet of foot ; yet I do not think that he 
will now come, greatly enraged though he be with the 710 
noble Hector, for without his armour 7 he cannot fight with 
the Trojans. Let even us then ourselves deliberate upon 
the best plan, both as to how we shall preserve the body, 
and how ourselves escape death and fate from the shout- 
ing of the Trojans." 

And him answered then the mighty Telamonian Ajax: 715 
" Thou hast said all things, O renowned Menelaus, with 
propriety. Do thou then and Meriones, stooping under it 
with all haste, raising the dead body, bear it from the fight ; 
and we both of the same name, with equal courage, who 
hitherto sustain the sharp conflict, remaining by each other, 720 
will combat in your rear with the Trojans and the noble 
Hector." 

Thus he spake ; and they lifted up the immense 8 body 
in their arms aloft from the ground ; and the Trojan army 
shouted in their rear when they beheld the Achaeans 
raising the corpse, and rushed on like dogs, which spring 725 
upon a wounded boar in front of the youthful huntsmen. 
For sometime they run, eager to tear him, but again 
when he turns upon thenx, trusting in his might, they fall 
back, and fearfully fly one one way, and one another : so 
the Trojans sometime pursued in a body, striking with 73Q 
their swords and double pointed spears ; but when again 
the Ajaxes wheeling around upon them, stood, then was 
their colour changed, and no one dared, charging forward, 
to combat for the corpse. 



7 Being naked. 

1 fxaXa fjityaXcuQ — the latter word must be supposed to refer to the size 
of the hero. 



396 ILIAD XVII.— V. 735—762. 

735 Thus they with alacrity bore the body from the fight 
towards the hollow ships ; and after them spread the wild 
battle, like a flame, which, suddenly kindled, sets fire to a 
city of men, rushing upon it, and the houses diminish in 
the mighty blaze ; and the force of the wind roars through 

740 it : so upon them, when departing, followed a horrid 
tumult of steeds and warlike heroes. And as mules, 
exerting their vast strength 9 , drag from a mountain along 
a rugged path either a beam, or a large piece of mast- 
timber for ship-building, and the spirit within them, as 

745 they toil *, is worn out at once with labour and sweat : so 
they with alacrity 2 bore away the corse, and the Ajaxes 
behind them kept in check the enemy, — as a mound of 
wood, stretched right across a plain, restrains water, which 
checks even the furious courses of rapid rivers, and imme- 

750 diately turning them, directs the streams of all into the 
plain, nor can they at all burst through it, though flowing 
with violence. So the Ajaxes in the rear always repulsed 
the battle of the Trojans ; but they followed along with 
them, and amongst them two in particular, ^Eneas, son of 

755 Anchises, and illustrious Hector. And as a cloud of 
starlings or jackdaws, screaming from fright, fly away, 
when they see a hawk approaching, which brings death to 
small birds — so then from iEneas and Hector departed 
the sons of the Achaeans, fearfully shouting, and were 
neglectful of the fight. 

760 And much beautiful armour of the flying Danaans fell 
in and round the ditch ; but there was not a cessation of 
battle. 



9 Possibly invested with vast strength. 1 To them toiling. 

2 Eager. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER, 



BOOK XVIIL 



ARGUMENT. 



Thetis comforts her son, and promises to procure new armour for him from 
Vulcan. By command of Juno, Achilles shows himself to the Trojans, 
who are panic-struck, and fly at his appearance. Vulcan forges the 
armour for Achilles. 

Thus they were fighting like to a blazing fire ; and An- 
tilochus, the swift-footed messenger, came to Achilles. 
And him he found in front of his high-prowed ships, 
revolving within his mind what had already happened; 
and then groaning he communed with his own noble 5 
mind : 

u Ah me ! why again are the long-haired Achaeans driven 
back in confusion to the ships, flying along the plain ? i" 
fear, lest the gods are now accomplishing evil sorrows for 
my soul l , as my mother once informed me, and told me, 
that the bravest man of the Myrmidons, whilst I was still 10 
alive, would leave the light of the sun, by the hands of the 
Trojans. Too surely now the brave unhappy son of 
Mencetius is dead: though I commanded him, after re- 
pulsing the hostile fire, to come back to the ships, and not 
to fight bravely with Hector." 

Whilst he was revolving these things in his mind and 15 

1 Or — may the gods not he accomplishing, &c. 



398 ILIAD XVIII.— V. 16—48. 

in his soul, the son of illustrious Nestor drew near, shed- 
ding hot tears, and delivered his sad message : 

" Alas ! son of warlike Peleus, thou wilt indeed hear 
very distressing intelligence, which ought not to have been. 

20 Patroclus lies dead ; and round his naked body they are 
now fighting, and that armour of thine the plumed Hector 
possesses." 

Thus he spake ; and a black cloud of grief enveloped 
him (Achilles), and seizing the burnt ashes with both 
hands, he poured them on his head, and denied his beauti- 

25 ful countenance ; and the dark ashes stuck every where on 
his rich tunic. And he, mighty, lay stretched at his vast 
length 2 among the ashes, and disordered his hair, tearing 
it out with his hands. And the hand-maids whom Achilles 
and Patroclus had taken among the spoils, grieved in their 

30 soul, shrieked aloud, and ran out of the door round the 
warlike Achilles ; and all beat their breasts with their 
hands, and the limbs of each were relaxed under them 3 . 
And Antilochus, on the other side, lamented, shedding 
tears, and holding the hands of Achilles — and he 4 groaned 
within his generous heart — for he was afraid he would cut 

35 his throat with his sword. And dreadfully did he howl, 
and his divine mother heard him, while sitting in the 
depths of the sea beside her aged father, and then she 
shrieked ; and all the goddesses assembled about her, as 
many Nereides as were at the bottom of the sea. There 
were there, Glauca, and Thaleia, and Cymodoce, and 

40 Nesaea, and Speio, and Thoa, and the large-eyed Halia, 
and Cymothoe, and Actaea, and Limnoreia, and Melita, 
and Iaera, and Amphithoe, and Agave, and Doto, and 
Proto, and Pherusa, and Dynamene, and Dexamene, and 

45 Amphinome, and Callianeira, Doris, and Panope, and the 
distinguished Galateia, and Nemertes, and Apseudes, and 
Callianassa. There were there also, Clymene, and Ianeira, 
and Ianassa, Maera, and Oreithyia, and the fair-haired 

2 Dividing — fieyag fieyaXitxrri. See P. 723. 

3 i. e. they fainted. 4 6 dt — i. e. Achilles. 



ILIAD XVIII.— V. 49—77. 399 

Amatheia, and other Nereides who were at the bottom of 
the sea. And with them was the splendid cave filled, and 50 
all together they beat their breasts ; and Thetis began the 
lamentation : 

" Hear, sister Nereides, that by hearing ye may all 
well know, what sorrows are in my mind. Ah me, 
miserable ! ah me ! who in an evil hour brought forth the 
bravest of men, and after I had given birth to a son 55 
illustrious and gallant, the chief of heroes, and he grew up 
like a young tree — him, after nursing like a plant in a 
fertile spot of a field, I sent forth in ships of curved 
beaks to Ilium, to fight against the Trojans; but him, 
returning home to the mansion of Peleus, shall I not 60 
again receive. And whilst he lives and beholds the light 
of the sun, he grieves 5 , nor can I, by going, assist him. 
Yet I will go, that I may see my beloved son, and learn 
what grief has come upon him, even while abstaining from 
the battle." 

Thus having spoken, she left the cave ; and they all (35 
went with her, weeping, and the water of the sea was cleft 6 
around them. And they, when now they came to fertile 
Troy, ascended the shore, one after the other, where the 
numerous ships of the Myrmidons were dragged up round 
the swift Achilles. And beside him, deeply groaning, stood 70 
his divine mother, and shrilly shrieking, caught the head 
of her son 7 ; and, mourning, addressed to him these winged 
words : 

" Why weepest thou, my son, and what sorrow has 
come upon thy mind ? Speak, hide it not : those things 
have been done for thee from Jove, as thou didst before 75 
pray, lifting up thy hands — that all the sons of the Achae- 
ans, when deprived of thee, might be driven to the barks, 
and suffer indignities/' 



5 i. e. he does, or will do so till his death — meaning, either from the day 
>f Agamemnon's insult, or generally on account of his short-lived fate. 

6 Broke— i. e. opened itself — made way. 

7 j. e. embraced him — put her arm round his neck. 



400 ILIAD XVIII.— V. 78—105. 

And her the swift-footed Achilles addressed, deeply 
groaning : " My mother, the Olympian has indeed done 

80 those things for me ; but what pleasure is there from them 
to me, when Patroclus, my dear comrade, is dead ? Him 
whom I honoured above all my companions, equally with 
my own life 8 — him have I lost ; and Hector, having slain 
him, has stript off his armour, mighty, a wonder to be 
seen, beautiful — that which the gods gave to Peleus, as 

85 distinguished gifts, on that day when they laid thee in the 
bed of a mortal man. Would that thou hadst dwelt there 
among the immortal inhabitants of the sea, and that 
Peleus had wedded a mortal spouse. But now the effect 
will be, that to thee also must there be boundless grief 
in thy mind for thy son slain, whom thou wilt not again 

90 receive, returning home. For neither does my mind urge 
me to live, nor have intercourse with men 9 , unless Hector 
first lose his life, smitten by my spear, and pay the 
penalty l for the slaughter of Patroclus, the son of Menoe- 
tius." 

And him Thetis in turn addressed, shedding tears : 

95 " Short-lived, indeed, O my son, wilt thou be, as thou 
say est, for immediately after Hector, comes thy own 
fate \" 

And, sighing heavily, swift-footed Achilles again ad- 
dressed her : " At once would I die, since I could not 
succour my comrade, now slain. He has perished very far 
100 from his native land, and had need of me to protect him 
from evil 3 . And now would I die, since I must not re- 
turn to my dear native land, and have been of no service 
to Patroclus, nor to the rest of my comrades, who have 
been subdued in great numbers by noble Hector ; but 

105 have sat beside the ships an useless burden of the earth, 



8 Head. 9 %. e. I am indifferent to life — or, life is intolerable, &c. 

1 eXwpa — '%. e. by being a prey for birds and beasts. 

2 Thou wilt be soon to die, O my son, such things thou say est, for fate is 
ready for thee afterwards, immediately after Hector. 

3 From Mars — i. e. violent death. 



ILIAD XVIIL— V. 106—135. 401 

bciiiir such a man in war as is not any one of the brazen- 
mailed Achaeans; though in council there are others supe- 
rior. Would that contention would perish from among 
gods and men ; and anger, which impels even the prudent 
to rage — which, far sweeter than dropping honey, in the 110 
breast of men rises, like smoke ; so now did the king of 
men, Agamemnon, enrage me. But the past we dismiss, 
grieved although we be 4 , subduing from necessity the in- 
dignation within our bosoms. And now will I go, that I 
may take Hector, the destroyer of my beloved friend 5 ; 
and my own fate will I then receive, whenever Jove shall 115 
please to accomplish it, and the other immortal gods. For 
not even did the mighty Hercules e escape death, who was 
most dear to king Jove, son of Saturn ; but destiny sub- 
dued him, and the unrelenting resentment of Juno. So 
I also shall lie, when I am dead, if a similar fate be now 120 
destined for me ; but now will I obtain 7 illustrious glory, 
and compel 8 some one of the Trojan women and long- 
robed Dardans frequently to sob, wiping off the tears from 
her soft cheeks with both hands; and they shall know that 125 
I have long ceased from battle 9 . Then hinder me not 
from the combat, although thou lovest me ! , for thou shalt 
not persuade me." 

And him answered then Thetis, the silver-footed 
goddess : " Yes, that indeed is right, my son ; nor is it 
wrong to avenge our suffering friends. But thy beauti- 130 
ful armour, brazen, splendid, is with the Trojans. With 
it on his shoulders, the plumed Hector himself exults; 
but I say that he will not long exult, for slaughter is 
near him. Enter thou then not yet into the strife of Mars, 
before thou beholdest me with thine eyes coming hither. 135 

4 See n. 60. 5 Of ray dear head. 

6 Might of, &c. 7 apoi[xr}v with ks understood. 

8 I will send upon them — will inflict on them sorrow — adivov arova- 
XecrQai. 

9 i. e. that I am come again to battle — or, by implication, that though I 
have been long absent, I am come again. 

1 Although loving me. 

D d 



402 ILIAD XVIII.— V. 136—168. 

For I will return in the morning, with the rising sun, 
bringing beautiful armour from king Vulcan." 

Thus having spoken, she turned back from her son, 
and, wheeling round, addressed her marine sisters : e( Enter 

140 ye now into the broad bosom of the sea, and, visiting the 
aged sea-god and the mansions of our father, tell him 
all ; for I will go to high Olympus to Vulcan, the skilful 
artificer, that he may give my son noble, splendid ar- 
mour.' 5 

145 Thus she spake, and they entered forthwith beneath the 
wave of the sea. And Thetis, the silver-footed goddess, 
again departed to Olympus, that she might bring dis- 
tinguished armour to her beloved son. 

150 Her then her feet bore towards Olympus : and mean- 
while the Achaeans, flying with a loud shout from man- 
slaying Hector, reached the ships and the Hellespont. 
Nor could the Achaean s, well-armed, drag the dead Patro- 
clus, the attendant of Achilles, away from the weapons 2 , 
for now again overtook it 3 both men and horses 4 , and 

155 Hector, the son of Priam, resembling the force of a flame. 
Three times did the illustrious Hector seize him behind 
by the feet, eager to drag him away, and loudly shouted 
to the Trojans; and thrice did the two Ajaxes, endowed 
with impetuous valour, drive him back from the corpse ; 
but he unflinchingly s trusting to his might 6 , sometimes 

160 rushed into the crowd, and sometimes again stopped, 
loudly shouting ; yet never retired back altogether. And 
as watchful shepherds are by no means able to drive away 
from a carcase a fierce lion, very hungry ; so were the two 
Avarlike Ajaxes unable entirely to repulse Hector, son of 

165 Priam, from the body. And now would he have dragged, 
it off, and obtained immense glory, had not wind-footed, 
swift Iris come as a messenger, running from Olympus, 
to the son of Peleus, to excite him to arms, unknown to 



2 i. e. the melee of weapons. 3 The dead body. 

4 i. e. the troops and their chiefs — horse and foot. 

5 sfnrtSov. ° i. e. exerting his vigour. 



ILIAD Will.— V. 169 — 199. 403 

Jove and the other gods — for Juno had despatched her — 
and. standing near, she spake these winged words : 

tt Up. son of Peleus, most terrible of all men; defend 170 
Patroelus, for whom 7 the dire contest stands before the 
ships. For they are slaughtering each other, these fight- 
ing in defence of the slaughtered dead body, and those 
(Trojans) rush on, to drag it away towards the lofty Ilium ; 
and above all, illustrious Hector desires to seize him, for 175 
his mind prompts him to fix his head upon poles, after 
cutting it from the tender neck. Up, therefore, and lie no 
longer ; and let horror touch thy soul, that Patroelus should 
be the sport of Trojan dogs. It will be a disgrace to thee 180 
if the body should come to be at all defiled." 

And her answered then noble Achilles, swift of foot : 
••Which of the gods, O goddess Iris, sent thee a messen- 
ger to me ?" 

And to him, in return, wind-footed, fleet Iris said : 
" Juno sent me forth, the glorious spouse of Jove ; nor 
does the son of Saturn, seated on high, know it, nor any 185 
other of the immortals who dwell round the snow-topped 
Olympus." 

And to her swift-footed Achilles, answering, said : ei And 
how can I go to the battle ? for they possess my armour. 
And my beloved mother permits me not to arm, before 
with my eyes I see her come ; for she promises to bring 190 
me beautiful armour from Vulcan. Nor indeed do I know 8 
whose rich armour else I could put on, save the shield of 
Ajax, the son of Telamon. But he himself still, I hope, 
mingles with the foremost, dealing death with his spear 195 
round dead Patroelus." 

And to him again wind-footed, swift Iris, said : u Well 
do we too know that thy noble armour is taken : yet 
even thus 9 , going towards the ditch, show thyself to the 
Trojans, that the Trojans, panic-struck, may desist from 



7 L e. for whose dead body. 

8 I know not the armour of another. 

' ('. e. in the ^tate you are in — without any armour. 

D d2 



404 ILIAD XVIII.— V. 200—234. 

200 battle, and the warlike, harassed sons of the Achaeans 
may breathe again; and that there may be a respite of 
battle." 

Thus then having spoken, swift-footed Iris departed. 
And Achilles, beloved of Jove, arose ; and Minerva cast 

205 round his strong shoulders her fringed ^Egis. And the 
noblest of goddesses crowned his head with a golden 
cloud T , and from it caused a shining flame to blaze forth. 
And as when smoke, ascending from a town, reaches the 
aether, from an island afar off, which foes invest — all day, 

210 from their city 2 , the citizens contend in horrid fight ; and 
with the setting sun many torches blaze, and the splendour 
rushes up aloft for their neighbours to behold, that, if pos- 
sible, they, as repellers of the war, may come with ships — 

215 so the light from the head of Achilles reached the sky. 
Advancing towards the ditch, he stood a little way from 
the wall, but mixed not with the Achaeans, for he respected 
the prudent advice of his mother. There standing, he 
shouted ; and Pallas Minerva, apart, vociferated ; and she 

220 excited mighty tumult among the Trojans. And as when 
there is a very loud sound, when a trumpet brays, whilst 
deadly foes are investing a city ; so loud then was the voice 
of the son of ./Eacus. And when they heard the brazen 
voice of Achilles, the souls of all were shaken ; and the 

225 beautiful steeds turned the chariots backwards, for they 
presaged disasters in their souls. And the charioteers were 
panic-struck, when they beheld the invincible fire over the 
head of the brave Pelides fearfully blazing ; for that the 
blue-eyed goddess Minerva had lighted up. Thrice over 
the ditch loudly shouted noble Achilles, and thrice were 

230 the Trojans and illustrious allies thrown into confusion. 
There also then perished twelve bravest heroes among 
their own cars and spears; and the Achaeans, dragging 
Patroclus with alacrity from among the weapons, laid him 
upon a litter ; and his beloved comrades stood round him 

1 Round his head the divine of goddesses encircled a golden cloud, 

2 i. e. from the walls of the town. 



ILIAD XVIII.— V. 235—265. 405 

and with them followed swift-footed Achilles, 235 
shedding hot tears, when he beheld his faithful comrade 
upon a litter, hacked with the sharp brass — him whom he 
had sent forth with horses and cars to battle, nor received 
him again, returning alirc. 

And large-eyed, imperial Juno sent the unwearied sun 240 
against his will to return to the streams of Oceanus. And 
the sun set, and the noble Achaeans desisted from fierce 
contest and destructive battle. And the Trojans, again, 
on the other side, retiring from furious combat, loosed the 
fleet horses from their cars. And they assembled in coun- 
cil before they thought of their repast. And the meeting 245 
was one of men standing erect, nor did any one venture to 
sit ; for terror possessed all, because Achilles had made his 
appearance, after he had long abstained from direful com- 
bat. And among them prudent Polydamas, the son of 
Panthus, began to harangue, for he alone looked to the 250 
future and the past 3 . And he was Hector's friend, and 
they were born in one night; and the one excelled in 
council, and the other far in arms. He prudently 4 
harangued them, and said : 

" My friends, consider well on every side ; I indeed ad- 
vise to return now to the city — not wait the sacred morn 255 
in the plain beside the ships ; for we are far from the 
wall 5 . As long as that man retained his anger against 
noble Agamemnon, so long were the Achaeans more easy 
to fight with. For I too was delighted, passing the night 
by the swift barks 6 , hoping to take the ships, impelled by 260 
oars on both sides ; but now greatly do I fear swift-footed 
Pelides. So vehement a spirit is his, he will not choose 
to remain in the plain, where the Trojans and Achaeans, in 
the middle, divide 7 the force of war ; but he will combat 
for the city and our wives. We will go then to the city — £65 



3 i. e. he was the most prudent man among them. 

1 Thinking well — i. e. as a person of experience, and capable of giving 
sound advice. 3 i. e. of the town. 

6 i. c. at the thought of doing so. 7 As if on equal terms. 



406 ILIAD XVIII.— V. 266—295. 

be persuaded by me — for so it must be 8 . Ambrosial night 
at present withholds swift-footed Pelides ; but if, rushing 
forth to-morrow with his armour, he shall find us here, 

270 then well will some one know him ; for with joy will he 
who escapes reach sacred Ilium; for dogs and vultures 
will devour many of the Trojans. O that such tidings 
may not reach my ears 9 . But if we be persuaded by my 
words, sad * though we be, we shall hold our force in 

275 council 2 during the night, and the towers and lofty gates, 
and doors fitted in them, well-polished, well-fastened, will 
protect the city. And in the morning early we will stand 
on the towers, arrayed in armour ; and it will be a diffi- 
cult thing for him, if he wish it, coming from the ships, 

280 to fight with us round the wall. Back again then will 
he go to the ships, when he has exhausted his high- 
necked steeds with a varied course, driving under the 
city walls. But his mind will never venture to rush in, 
nor will he ever lay it waste — the fleet dogs shall first 
devour him/ 5 

And to him then the plumed Hector, looking sternly, 

285 said : " Thou no longer, Polydamas, sayst what is agree- 
able to me, who advisest us to go again, and be cooped up 
in the city. Have ye not yet had enough of being shut 
up within the towers ? Formerly all articulate-speaking 
men pronounced the city of Priam to be rich in gold and 

290 in brass ; but now the rich treasures of our houses have 
perished, and much wealth for purchases has already de- 
parted to Phrygia and the delightful Mceonia 3 , because 
mighty Jove has been enraged. Now then when the son 
of the wily Saturn has granted me to obtain glory at the 

295 ships, and to drive the Achaeans to the sea, — no longer, 

8 It will be. 

9 Would that thus it be away from my ear. l i. e. at the necessity. 

2 i. e. keep collected in the ayopi] — in the square, or public place of 
assembly — not disperse to their several homes. 

3 i. e. they could not cultivate their own grounds — occupied, or exposed 
as they were to the Achaeans ; and were forced to send to the eastern 
districts for corn, &c. 



ILIAD XVIII. — V. 296—326. 407 

foolish man, disclose these counsels to the people : for 
Done of the Trojans will obey : nor will I permit it \ Come 
then let us all obey as I shall advise. Take now your sup- 
pers in your ranks throughout the army ; and be mindful 
of a guard, and keep watch each of you ; and he of the 
Trojans who is extremely solicitous about his wealth 5 , 300 
gathering it together, let him give it to the people to be 
publicly consumed — it is better that some of them should 
enjoy it than the Achaeans. And in the morning early, 
arrayed in armour, at the hollow ships we will stir up the 
fierce battle ; and if in reality noble Achilles rises at the 305 
ships, it will be the worse for him, if he chooses to fight. 
I shall not fly him by going from the dire-sounding battle, 
but will confront boldly with him, whether he bear away 
great glory., or I bear it away. Mars is common 6 , and 
slays the slayer." 

Thus Hector counselled ; and the Trojans shouted — 310 
foolishly, for Pallas Minerva had taken their senses from 
them. For they assented to Hector, counselling destruc- 
tive measures; and no one agreed with Polydamas, who 
offered sound advice. Then took they supper throughout 
the army. Meanwhile the Achaeans, weeping all night, 315 
poured their lamentations over Patroclus, and among them 
Pelides led the ceaseless lamentation, placing his manslay- 
ing hands upon the breast of his companion, and sighing 
very frequently ; like a well-bearded lion, from which an 
huntsman 7 has stolen away the cubs from out of a thick 320 
forest ; and he is saddened, coming afterwards ; and many 
valleys goes he over, tracing the footsteps of the man, that 
he may find him ; for very keen rage seizes him. So, deeply 
groaning, Achilles addressed the Myrmidons : 

a Alas ! vain indeed were the words I uttered on that 
day, encouraging the hero Menoetius in our halls 8 — for I 325 
said that I would bring back his illustrious son to Opoeis, 

4 i. e. you to do it. 5 Ironically — a stroke at Polydamas. 

6 That is, the fortune of the war is common. 

7 A man, the shooter of deer. 8 St. 



408 ILIAD XVIII.— V. 327—358. 

after he had wasted Troy, and obtained a portion of the 
spoil. But Jove fulfils not to men all their intentions : for 

330 it is fated that we should both stain with blood the same 
earth here in Troy ; since neither shall the aged Peleus, 
tamer of horses, receive me in his halls returning, nor my 
mother Thetis, but here the earth shall hold me. Now, 
however, O Patroclus, since after thee I am going beneath 
the earth, I will not perform thy funeral obsequies, before 

335 I bring hither the arms and the head of brave Hector, thy 
murderer. And twelve illustrious sons of the Trojans will 
I behead before thy pile, enraged at thy slaughter 9 . And 
in the mean time thou shalt thus lie beside the curved 
ships : and round thee shall weep, shedding tears night 

340 and day, Trojan and deep-bosomed Dardan women, whom 
he and I have ourselves toiled to get with valour, and with 
the long spear, laying waste opulent cities of articulate- 
speaking men." 

So saying, noble Achilles gave directions to his com- 
rades, to put a large tripod on the fire, that as soon as 

345 possible, they might wash away the bloody gore from 
Patroclus. And they placed a large tripod ' upon the 
glowing fire, and poured water into it, and taking sticks, 
lighted them under it. Then the fire ran round the belly 
of the tripod, and the water grew hot. And when the 

350 water boiled in the bright brass, then they washed him, 
and bathed him with rich oil._ And his wounds they 
filled up with an unguent nine years old 2 , and, laying him 
upon a bed, they covered him with fine linen from head 
to foot; and over all, with a white mantle. All night 

355 then the Myrmidons, lamenting Patroclus, groaned around 
swift-footed Achilles. And Jove addressed Juno, his sis- 
ter and spouse : 

" At last then thou hast done it, O large-eyed impe- 



9 On account of thee slain. 

1 \oerpoxoog — a kettle from which water was poured for washing or 
bathing. 

2 i. e, which they brought with them fresh from home nine years before. 



ILIAD XVIII.— V. 359—387. 409 

rial Juno, having roused up swift-footed Achilles. Surely 
the long-haired Achaeans must have sprung from thy very 

self." 

And him answered then large-eyed, imperial Juno : 360 
" Despotic son of Saturn, what word hast thou spoken ? 
Any mortal surely might have effected this against a man 
— any one who is only human, and knows not so many 
measures as ive. How then ought not I, — who declare 
myself to be the chief of goddesses, on two accounts, 
as well from birth, as also because I am called thy spouse, 
— for thou rulest over all the immortals — being angry 365 
with the Trojans, to be able to plan mischief against them ? w 

Thus they such things said to one another. And the 
silver-footed Thetis came to the mansion of Vulcan, incor- 
ruptible, starry, distinguished among the immortals, brazen, 370 
one which the lame god himself had formed. And him she 
found sweating, working at the bellows, very busy ; for he 
was making full twenty tripods, to stand round the wall 
of his well-founded palace. And under them he placed 
golden wheels, at the bottom of each, that of their own 375 
accord they might enter the heavenly banquet, and again 
return to his house — a wonder to be seen. So far indeed 
were they finished 3 , but not yet were added the ornamental 
handles which he was preparing ; and he was cutting the 
clasps \ Whilst with skilful mind he was toiling at these 380 
things, Thetis, the silver-footed goddess, came towards 
him. And the beautiful Charis, of the lovely veil, whom 
the illustrious Vulcan had wedded, going forth, beheld 
her ; and pressed her hand, and addressed her, and spoke 
to her by name : 

u Why, O long-robed Thetis, worthy to be reverenced 385 
and loved, comest thou to our abode ? Before thou comest 
not often \ But accompany me onward, that I may set 
before thee our hospitalities." 

3 They had an end. 

4 By which the handles were attached to the tripods — nails, or screws. 
b t. e. you are not in the habit of coming — or, you arc quite a stranger. 



410 ILIAD XVIII.— V. 388—420. 

Thus having spoken, the most charming of goddesses 
led forward. Then she placed her upon a silver-studded 

390 throne, beautiful, curiously wrought, and there was a stool 
beneath for her feet. And she called Vulcan, the noble 
artificer, and spake this word : 

" Come hither, Vulcan, Thetis has some need of thee. 5 ' 
And to her the illustrious Vulcan replied : iC Why then 

395 indeed a goddess great and revered is within — one who 
saved me when distress came upon me, fallen far, by the 
contrivance of my graceless mother, who wished to con- 
ceal me because I was lame 6 . Then should I have suffered 
sorrows in my soul, had not Eurynome and Thetis received 
me in their bosom — Eurynome, daughter of the ebbing 

400 Oceanus. With them for nine years did I fabricate 7 many 
curious things, clasps, and twisted rings, and hair-pins, 
and necklaces, in the hollow cave ; and round us flowed 
the mighty stream of Oceanus, murmuring with foam : 

405 nor did any other either of gods or mortal men know it ; 
but Thetis and Eurynome knew, who preserved me. She 
now comes to our house; wherefore it much behoves 
me to pay all the reward for my preservation 8 to fair- 
haired Thetis. Set thou then now before her our best 
hospitalities, whilst I lay aside my bellows and all my 
tools." 

410 He said, and, glowing, rose, a huge portent, from his 
anvil-stock, limping, and his weak legs tottered under him. 
The bellows then he laid apart from the fire, and all the 
tools, with which he worked, he collected together into a 
silver chest. And with a sponge he wiped, all over, his 

415 face and both his hands, and his strong neck and shaggy 
breast ; and then put on his coat, and seized his thick 
staff. And he went limping out of the door, and golden 
handmaids supported him 9 , — like to living youth, in whose 
bosom there is understanding, and voice, and strength, 

420 and who are instructed in working by the immortal 

6 Compare A. 587. 7 Work in brass. 

s Pay salvage-money . :) Made of gold. 



ILIAD XVIII.— V. 421—452. 411 

gods 1 . These assisted the king at his side; and he, 
hobbling along, sat down upon a shining throne near where 
Thetis was, and clasped her hand, and addressed her and 

said : 

" Why, long-robed Thetis, respected and beloved, 
comest thou to our abode ? Before thou comest not often. 425 
Speak what is in thy mind, for my soul prompts me to 
effect it, if I can effect it, and if it is to be effected." 

And to him Thetis then, shedding tears, replied : " O 
Vulcan, is there one now of all the goddesses 2 , who are 
in Olympus, who has endured so many bitter griefs in her 430 
mind, as to me above all, Jove, the son of Saturn, has 
given sorrows ? Me, from among the other marine deities, 
did he make subject to a man, to Peleus, son of iEacus ; 
and I have endured the bed of a man very much against 
my will. He indeed now lies in his halls, worn out with 
miserable old age ; and Jove now gives me other woes. 435 
After he had granted me to bear and to nurse a son, dis- 
tinguished among heroes, and he grew up like a young tree 
— him after bringing up, as a plant in a fertile spot of the 
field, I sent forth in curved barks to Ilium, to combat with 
the Trojans ; but him I shall not again receive, returning 440 
home to the mansion of Peleus. For as long as he lives 
for me, and beholds the light of the sun, he suffers sorrow; 
nor am I, by going to him, able to give any assistance. 
The maid whom the sons of the Achseans selected as a re- 
ward for him — her has king Agamemnon taken back from 445 
his hands. Surely grieving for her, has he been consuming 
his soul ; and the Trojans were blockading the Achseans 
at the ships, nor suffered them to go beyond the gates : 
and the sires of the Argives intreated him, and offered 3 
many noble presents. Then he himself refused to ward 450 
off destruction; but clothed Patroclus around with his 
own armour, and sent him forth to battle, and along with 



1 To whom there is understanding in their bosoms, and in them voice 
and strength, and they knew works from the immortal gods. 

2 As many goddesses as are. 3 Named. 



412 ILIAD XVIII.— V. 453—486. 

him furnished a large army \ And all day they fought 
round the Scsean gates, and this very day they would have 
stormed Troy, had not Apollo slain among the foremost 

455 combatants the gallant son of Mencetius, while working 
much mischief, and given glory to Hector. On this ac- 
count do I now approach thy knees, that thou mayest 
give to my short-lived son a shield and helmet, and beau- 
tiful greaves, joined with clasps, and a corslet : for what 

460 were his, his faithful comrade has lost, subdued by the 
Trojans; and he (Achilles) lies upon the ground, grieving 
in his soul." 

And her answered then the illustrious Vulcan : si Be 
comforted, nor let these things be cause of anxiety in thy 
mind. Would that I could as surely protect him from 

465 dire-sounding death, when severe fate approaches him, as 
that beautiful arms shall be his — such as any one of many 
men hereafter shall admire, who beholds them." 

So saying, he left her there, and went to the bellows. 
And then he turned towards the fire, and commanded 

470 them to work. And full twenty bellows blew in the fur- 
naces, exciting a well-raised blast, of all degrees, to be 
ready for him, at one time busy, at another not 5 , according 
as Vulcan chose, and the work could be completed. And 
he cast into the fire impenetrable brass, and tin, and pre- 

475 cious gold and silver ; and next he placed the mighty anvil 
on the stock, and in one hand took his strong hammer, and 
with the other seized the forceps. 

And first of all he made a shield, large and solid, deco- 

480 rating it all over, and threw round it a shining rim, triple, 
splendid, and from it hung a silver belt. Of the shield 
itself there were five folds ; and upon it he made numerous 
figures with skilful art. 

In it he formed the earth, and in it the sea, and in it 
the unwearied sun, and the full moon. In it also all the 

485 constellations with which the heaven is crowned, the 
Pleiades, and the Hyades, and the strength of Orion, and 

4 Much people. 5 aWort 8' avrt — sell, jxij (nravSovTi. 



ILIAD XVIII.— V. 487—515. 413 

the Boar, which likewise they call by the appellation of 
the Wain, which there turns round, and watches Orion; 
and it alone is deprived of the baths of Oceanus 6 . 

In it likewise he made two beautiful cities of articulate- 490 
speaking men. In the one there were marriages and 
feasts : and they were leading the brides from their cham- 
bers through the city, with lighted torches, and many a 
bridal song arose. And youthful dancers were wheeling 
around, and amongst them pipes and lyres uttered their 495 
sound ; and the women, one and all, standing at the por- 
tals, admired the scene. And there were numerous people 
in a court of justice, and there a contest had arisen ; and 
two men disputed about the blood-money for a murdered 
man — the one affirmed that he had given all, declaring 500 
it to the people ; and the other denied that he had received 
aught : and both desired to end the dispute before the judge. 
And the people were shouting in favour of both — friends 
of each party ; and the heralds were keeping the people in 
check, and the old men sat upon polished stones, in a 
sacred circle, and held in their hands the sceptres of loud- 505 
shouting 7 heralds. Among them then they arose, and 
gave judgment in turns. And in the midst there lay two 
talents 8 of gold, to be given to him, who in their presence 
should most justly plead his cause 9 . — But round the other 
city sat two armies of people, glittering in armour. And 510 
a plan in two ways was agreeable to them, either to de- 
stroy it entirely, or to divide into two parts l all things — 
the wealth, as much as the pleasant city contained within. 
They 2 , however, did not yet obey, but secretly armed 
themselves for an ambuscade 3 . Their beloved wives and 
young children kept guard, standing upon the wall, and 515 

6 i. e. it never sets. 7 Heralds whose voices fill the air. 

8 The amount of the fine, apparently. The sum hi question was, as we say, 
brought into court. 

9 i. e. convince the judges he asked only justice. 

1 i. e. apparently — the citizens might purchase their safety, by a surrender 
of half their property. 2 The people of the town. 

3 To intercept the supplies to the besieging corps. 



414 ILIAD XVIII.— V. 516—546. 

with them the men whom old age possessed ; but them- 
selves marched forth ; and Mars and Pallas Minerva led 
them on, both golden, for they were arrayed in golden 
robes, beautiful and large, along with their armour, like 
gods, magnificent from top to toe ; but the people were of 

520 humbler size. And when now they had arrived where it 
appeared convenient for them to place an ambuscade, by 
a river, where was a watering place for all cattle, there 
then they sat down, wrapt in shining brass. Next, apart 
from the troops, sat down two scouts, watching when they 
might descry the flocks and horned herds. And they 

525 (flocks and herds) soon came on, and with them followed 
two herdsmen, amusing themselves with their pipes, for 
they foresaw not the treachery. Then the foragers, seeing 
them before them, rushed upon them, and quickly plun- 
dered on all sides the herds of oxen and beautiful flocks of 

530 white sheep : and slew the shepherds besides. But the 
besiegers, sitting in the place of assembly 4 , as soon as they 
heard the mighty tumult among the oxen, mounting their 
nimble-footed steeds, pursued, and speedily came up with 
them. Then, standing, they fought a battle by the banks of 
the river, and smote one another with their brazen spears. 

535 And amongst them mingled Discord and Tumult, and 
deadly Fate, holding one yet alive, newly wounded, another 
unhurt, and by the feet dragged another, slain, through 
the combat ; and had the robe round her shoulders quite 
empurpled with the blood of men. And they turned about 

540 like living mortals, and fought and dragged away each 
other's slaughtered carcases. 

On the shield also he placed a soft fallow field, a rich 
soil, broad, thrice ploughed; and in it many ploughers, 
driving on all sides, were turning round their oxen. But 
when, returning, they came to the boundary of the field, 

545 then a man, approaching them, gave into their hands a cup 
of sweetest wine ; and they turned to their furrows, eager 

4 Before the ipa — i. e. at, or before, the altar, &e. 



ILIAD XVIII.— V. 547—579. 415 

to roach the boundary of the deep fallow field. And it was 
black behind, and like to ploughed land, though being 
golden ; which was a miracle beyond others. 

On it likewise he placed an enclosure of high corn ; and 550 
there workmen were reaping, holding sharp sickles in their 
hands. Some handfuls fell thick in swathes upon the 
ground, and others the binders of sheaves fastened together 
with cords. And three binders of sheaves followed the 
reapers ; and behind them boys gathering the handfuls, 555 
and bearing them in their arms, constantly supplied them ; 
and the master stood among them in silence, holding a staff 
beside the swathes, delighted in his heart. And apart, under 
an oak, servants were preparing a feast, and, sacrificing a 
huge ox, were busy about it ; and women sprinkled much 
white flour upon it — a meal for the labourers. 560 

On it likewise he placed a vineyard, very heavy with 
grapes, beautiful, golden; and the clusters on the vine 
were black ; and it stood throughout on silver poles. 
Round it he drew an azure ditch, and about that a ram- 
part of tin ; and there was only one path to it, by which 565 
the gatherers went, when they collected the vintage. Lit- 
tle maids and boys of tender minds 5 bore the luscious fruit 
in twisted baskets ; and in the midst of them a boy sweetly 
played upon a shrill lyre; and, with tender voice, beauti- 570 
fully sung to it a rustic song 6 : and the rest, beating the 
earth at the same time, with singing and shouts of joy, 
followed, skipping with their feet. 

Upon it he also formed an herd of cows, with horns 
erect. And the cows were made of gold and of tin, and 
rushed out with a lowing from the stall to the pasture, be- 575 
side a stream, brawling beside the waving reeds. And four 
golden herdsmen went along with the oxen, and nine dogs, 
swift of foot, followed them. And two terrible lions were 
seizing the bull, groaning sadly, among the foremost oxen, 



Thinking puerile things. 

The linen string — of which the ancients formed their harp-strings. 



416 ILIAD XVIII.— V. 580—613. 

580 and he was dragged away, loudly bellowing ; and the dogs 
and youths followed for his rescue. But they, after tear- 
ing open the skin of the huge ox, licked up his entrails 
and black blood ; and the shepherds vainly pressed upon 

585 them, urging on their fleet dogs. And they (the dogs) re- 
fused to bite the lions, but, standing very near, barked at 
them, and shrunk from them. 

And upon it the illustrious Vulcan likewise formed a 
large pasture in a beautiful glen, full of white sheep, and 
folds, and covered huts and cottages. 

590 The illustrious Vulcan likewise adorned it with a dance, 
like to that which, in wide Cnossus, Daedalus once com- 
posed for the fair-haired Ariadne, There danced the 
youths and lovely 7 virgins, holding each other's hands near 

595 the wrist. Of these, the maidens, wore fine linen robes, 
and the youths were dressed in well-woven coats, far- 
radiant, like oil : and the maids also had beautiful chap- 
lets, and the boys wore golden swords suspended from silver 

600 belts. And sometimes, with skilful feet, they nimbly ran 
the circle, as when some potter, sitting, tries a wheel fitted 
in his hands, if it will run ; and sometimes again they run 
back to their ranks through one another. And a great 
crowd stood round the pleasing dance, delighted ; and be- 

605 side them, two tumblers 8 , beginning their song, wheeled 
around in the midst. 

Moreover, he placed in it the vast strength of the river 
Oceanus, near the outer rim of the well-formed shield. 
And when he had completed the shield, huge and solid, 

610 he next formed for him a corslet, brighter than the splen- 
dour of fire. And he made for him a strong helmet, fitted 
to his temples, beautiful and variously wrought, and put 
upon it a golden crest; and formed greaves for him of 
ductile tin. 

7 Maidens who, on account of their beauty, received ^oxen from their 
lovers — i. e. were purchased by them, as wives, from their parents. 

8 Dancers on their heads. 



ILIAD XVIII.— V. 614— 617. 417 

And when the renowned Vulcan had with toil made all 
the arms, lifting them up, he laid them before the mother 615 
of Achilles : and she, like a hawk, shot down from the 
snow-clad Olympus, bearing the glittering armour from 
Vulcan. 



e e 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER. 



BOOK xrx. 



ARGUMENT. 



Achilles, being reconciled to Agamemnon, and clothed in his new armour, 
leads forth the Myrmidons to battle. 

The saffron-robed Morn was rising from out the streams 
of Oceanus, that she might bring light to immortals and 
to mortals ; and Thetis reached the ships, bearing the gifts 
from the god. And her beloved son she found sitting, 
5 loudly lamenting, beside Patroclus, and round him his 
numerous companions mourned. And among them, the 
august goddess stood near him, and grasped his hand, and 
addressed him, and said : 

" My son, him, grieved though we be, will we let lie, 
since he was first subdued by the counsel of the gods; 

]0 t> u t do thou receive from Vulcan this noble armour, very 
beautiful, such as no man has yet worn upon his shoul- 
ders;" 

Thus having spoken, the goddess laid down the arms 
before Achilles ; and they all, curiously wrought, clashed 
aloud. Then tremor seized all the Myrmidons, nor did 

15 any one dare to look directly at them, but averted their 



ILIAD XIX.— V. 16—47. 419 

But as soon as Achilles beheld them, rage the more 
came upon him ; and his eyes shone terribly from his 
eyelids, like a flame ; and he was filled with joy, holding 
in his hands the splendid gifts of the god. And when he 
had gratified his heart, beholding the curiously-wrought 20 
armour, forthwith he addressed his mother in these winged 
words : 

" My mother, a god has indeed given this armour, such 
as is fit to be the work of immortals, and not for mortal 
man to make. Now then will I arm myself; yet I very 
much fear, lest, in the mean time, the flies, entering the 25 
gallant son of Menoetius by his spear-inflicted wounds, 
generate maggots, and defile the corse — for life is destroyed 
— and all the body 1 grow putrid." 

And him answered then the silver-footed goddess Thetis: 
* My son, let not these things be a cause of anxiety to 
thy mind. I will endeavour to drive away from him the 30 
fierce swarms, the flies, which devour men slain in battle. 
For even if he lie for a complete year, his body shall 
always be sound as now, or even better. But do thou, 
having summoned the Achaean heroes to an assembly, and 
renouncing thy rage against Agamemnon, the shepherd of 35 
the people, arm thyself very speedily to war, and put on 
thy might." 

Having thus spoken, she infused into him the most 
daring courage, and then dropped into Patroclus, through 
the nostrils, ambrosia and the ruddy nectar, that his body 
might be uncorrupted. 

And noble Achilles went along the shore of the sea, 40 
shouting fearfully, and roused the Achaean heroes. And 
those who were before in the habit of remaining at the 
assemblage of the ships, the pilots and those who held the 
rudders of the vessels, and the pursers, who were at the 
ships, the dispensers of food — even these then went to 45 
the assembly, because Achilles had appeared, after 2 he had 
long abstained from dire combat. And two servants of 

1 As to the whole body. 2 8(. 

e e 2 



420 ILIAD XIX.— V. 48—78. 

Mars, brave Tydides and noble Ulysses, went limping, 
leaning upon a spear ; for they still had severe wounds ; 

50 and, proceeding, they sat down on the first seats. And 
last came the king of men, Agamemnon, having a wound ; 
for him also, in the fierce battle, had Coon, son of Antenor, 
wounded with his brazen spear. Then when all the Achaeans 

55 were collected together, swift-footed Achilles, standing up 
amongst them, addressed them : 

" Son of Atreus, this 3 would doubtless have been better 
for both, for thee and me, when we two, enraged at heart, 
were inflamed to soul-devouring contention about a girl \ 
Would that Diana 5 had slain her with an arrow in the 

60 ships, on that day, when plundering, I took Lyrnessus — 
in that case so many Achaeans would not have bitten 
the mighty soil with their teeth under the hands of the 
enemy, whilst I was nursing my wrath. This had been 
better for Hector and the Trojans ; and the Achaeans, I 

65 think, will long remember my contention and thine. But 
let us dismiss the past, grieved as we are, subduing from 
necessity 6 our resentments within our bosoms. And now, 
I put an end to my anger, nor is it at all fit that I be 
always obstinately enraged. Come then, excite more 

70 quickly the long-haired Achaeans to battle, in order that I 
may again try the Trojans, going against them — whether 
they desire to spend the night at the ships ; but I think 
that any of them will very gladly bend his knee 7 , who 
escapes out of the glowing combat from my spear." 

Thus he spake ; and the well-greaved Achaeans rejoiced, 

75 on account of the brave son of Peleus renouncing his anger. 
And to them the king of men, Agamemnon, likewise ad- 
dressed himself, out of the same place, from his seat, and 
not standing in the midst : 



3 i. e. what we are now doing — agreeing rather than conflicting. 

4 Brisefs. 

5 To whom the premature deaths of women were ascribed, 

6 i. e. the state of circumstances compelling. 

7 I. e. will be glad to sit down. 



ILIAD XIX.— V. 79—109. 421 

u O friends, Danaan heroes, servants of Mars, it is good 
to listen to me, thus rising, nor is it proper to interrupt 80 
me : for it is difficult 8 even for one that is skilled. And 
in a great uproar of men, how can any one hear or speak? 
For he is confounded even though ever so good an orator. 
I indeed shall direct my speech to Pelides ; and do ye, the 
rest of the Argives, attend, and each be well acquainted 
with my words. Often have the Achaeans uttered these 85 
words 9 against me, and have blamed me; yet I am not to 
blame, but Jove, and Fate, and Erinnys, roaming amid the 
shades, who, in the assembly, threw into my mind a 
fierce desire to quarrel *, on that day when I myself took 
away the prize of Achilles. Yet what could I do ? It is 90 
a god in all things that accomplishes — the destructive Ate, 
the awful daughter of Jove, who injures all. Light are 
her feet 2 ; for she comes not near the ground, but she 
walks over the heads of men, injuring men, and one at 
least she fetters 3 . For once she duped even Jove — him, 95 
who, they say, is the most powerful of men and gods ; 
but even him Juno, being a female, deceived by her crafts, 
on that day, when Alcmene was about to bring forth the 
mighty Hercules in the well-walled Thebes. He in truth, 100 
boasting, had said among all the gods : 

" e Hear me, all ye gods, and all ye goddesses, that I may 
speak those things, which the soul within my bosom urges 
me. This day Eileithyia, the assistant in child-birth, shall 
show to the light a man, who shall lord it over all his 
neighbours, one of those men, who are of the blood of 105 
my race/ 

" And him the august Juno addressed, meditating 
guiles : ' Thou shalt be false, nor shalt thou execute thy 
purpose *. But come, swear now a binding oath to me, O 

8 l e. to address an assembly. 

9 i. e. censuring him for his conduct to Achilles. J Injury. 

2 i. e. walking without noise — the mind of man is urged on to evil, by 
some in- dwelling fury. 

3 i. e. if not both — a drlicate censure of Achilles. 

4 Put an end, or completion, to thy speech. 



422 ILIAD XIX.— V. 110—137. 

110 Olympian, that he shall lord it over all his neighbours, 
who shall this day fall between the feet of a woman, one 
of those men, who are of the blood of thy family.' 

66 Thus she spake, and Jove perceived not her crafty de- 
sign, but swore the mighty oath, and then was much be- 
fooled 5 . And Juno, springing forth, quitted the brow of 

115 Olympus, and came with all haste to the Achaean Argos, 
where she was acquainted with the generous spouse of 
Sthenelus, son of Perseus. And she was pregnant of her 
beloved son ; and the seventh month was at hand. And 
Juno brought him out to the light, though borne before 
the proper month 6 ; and kept back the delivery of 
Alcmene, and restrained the Eileithyiae ; and herself 

120 coming as the messenger, addressed Jove, the son of 
Saturn : 

" e Father Jove, hurler of the red lightning, I will put a 
certain matter in thy mind 7 . A brave man is now born, 
who shall rule the Argives, Eurystheus, son of Sthenelus, 
son of Perseus, thy offspring — it is not improper for him 
to govern the Argives/ 

125 " Thus she spake; but sharp pangs smote him in his 
deep mind : and immediately he seized Ate by her head of 
shining curls, enraged in his mind, and swore a strong oath, 
that Ate, who injures all, should never again return to 
Olympus, and the starry heaven. 

130 " So saying, he cast her from the starry sky, whirling 
her round in his hand, and she speedily reached the works 
of men. On her account he always groaned, when he be- 
held his beloved son employed 8 in some unworthy toil 
under the labours of Eurystheus 9 . 

" Thus I also, when the mighty, plumed Hector was 

135 destroying the Argives at the sterns of the ships, was un- 
able to forget the wrong which I first foolishly committed. 
But as I acted foolishly, and Jove took away my reason, I 

5 He was thinking of Hercules, and Juno of Eurystheus. 

6 Defective in months. 7 i. e. I have something to tell you. 

8 Having some. 9 i. e . imposed by Eurystheus. 



ILIAD XIX.— V. 138—171. 423 

am willing again to appease 'thee, and to give infinite gifts. 
Up then thou to battle, and excite the other troops, and I 
am ready to furnish all the presents, as many as the noble 140 
Ulysses yesterday, going to thee, promised in thy tents. 
Yet. if thou ^vilt, wait, though hastening to battle ; and 
my servants, taking the presents from my ship, shall bring 
them, that thou mayest see with what propitiating gifts I 
present thee." 

And to him swift-footed Achilles, answering, said: 145 
""• Most glorious son of Atreus, king of men, Agamemnon, 
whether thou wilt furnish gifts, as it is meet, or keep 
them, remains with thee l ; but now let us very quickly be 
mindful of the contest; for it becomes us not to waste 
time in words, remaining here ; nor to cause delays, for 150 
the great deed is yet to be done. And as each beholds 
Achilles again among the foremost, destroying the pha- 
lanxes of the Trojans with his brazen spear, so let also 
each of you, keeping this in mind, combat with his 
man." 

And to him the ever-ready 2 Ulysses answering, said: 
(i Not thus, brave as thou art, O godlike Achilles, urge the 155 
sons of the Achasans towards Ilium, to fight fasting with 
the Trojans; since not for a short time will be the contest, 
when once the phalanxes of men mingle, and a god breathe 
valour into both. Command rather that the Achaeans be 160 
refreshed 3 at the ships with food and wine — for that is 
strength and vigour. For a man, wanting food, could not 
fight against his enemies all day till sunset ; for although 
with his spirit he desire to maintain the fight, still his 
limbs insensibly grow languid, and thirst and hunger 165 
overtake him, and his knees fail him as he goes 4 . But a 
man, who is satisfied with wine and food, combats all day 
with hostile heroes ; the heart within his bosom is daring, 
nor do his limbs at all weary before that all retire from 170 
battle. Come then, send away the troops, and order a 

1 Is with thee — is thy business 2 With many plans. 

3 Be fed. 4 To him going. 



424 ILIAD XIX.— V. 172—203. 

repast to he made ready ; and let the king of men, Aga- 
memnon, hring the gifts into the midst of the assembly, 
that all the Achaeans may see them with their eyes, and 

175 thou receive pleasure in thy heart. Let him, moreover, 
swear an oath to thee, standing up among the Argives, 
that he has never ascended her bed, nor had connexion 
with her, as is the custom, O king, of men and women ; 
and let thine own soul within thy bosom be appeased. 
Then let him next entertain thee with a good feast within 

180 his tents, that thou may est not have aught of thy due 
incomplete. And thou, Atrides, wilt hereafter be more 
just towards another — for it is not derogatory for a royal 
personage to conciliate, when he was the first 5 to do 
wrong. 

185 And him in return the king of men, Agamemnon, ad- 
dressed : " I am delighted^ O son of Laertes, listening to 
thy speech, for thou hast gone through and expressed all 
with propriety. And these things will I swear, and my 
soul urges me ; nor shall I, before God, forswear myself. 

1 90 And let Achilles here remain, meanwhile, though hastening 
out to battle ; and remain all ye the rest of you assembled, 
until they bring the gifts from my tent, and we take our 
oath 6 . And to thee thyself, Ulysses, I give this charge, 
and command thee — selecting the principal youths of all 

3 95 the Achaeans, to bring from my ship the gifts, as many as 
we yesterday promised to give to Achilles, and to lead 
forth the women. And let Talthybius also prepare for me 
with speed in the wide army of the Achaeans, a boar to 
sacrifice to Jupiter and the Sun/' 

And him swift-footed Achilles, answering, addressed : 

200 " Most glorious Atrides, king of men, Agamemnon, at 
some other period ought ye rather to attend to these mat- 
ters, when there is some respite from battle, and not so 
much ardour in my bosom : but at present those lie man- 
gled, whom Hector, the son of Priam, subdued, when Jove 

5 irporspog — soil. j3a<ri\evg. 

Strike the victims in evidence of our oath. 



iliad xix.— v. 204—240. im:> 

gave him the glory. Urge ye the troops, however, to food. 
I would myself indeed at once advise the sons of the 205 
Achaeans, fasting, hungry, to engage ; and, with the set- 
ting sun. prepare a large supper, after we have revenged 
our disgrace. For before, neither drink nor food shall 
descend down my throat — for the sake of my slain friend, 210 
who lies in my tent, mangled with the sharp brass, turned 
towards the portal, and his comrades mourn around him. 
On that account, not to my mind are these things a 
care; but slaughter, and blood, and the dire groaning of 
heroes." 

And him the wise Ulysses, answering, addressed : "0 215 
Achilles^ son of Peleus, far the bravest of Achaeans, thou 
art stronger than myself, and not a little superior with the 
spear ; but I excel thee much in experience 7 ; for I was 
born before thee, and know more : therefore let thy mind 220 
acquiesce in my words. Soon is there with men a satiety 
of battle, where 8 the sickle cuts down the greatest crop ; 
and small is the harvest, when Jove, who is the disposer 
of the battle of heroes, inclines the scales 9 . And it cannot 
be of any use, that the Achaeans lament the dead with fast- 225 
ing \ for very many and in heaps every day they fall — 
when could one cease from sorrow ? But it becomes us 
rather to bury the man who dies, with firm minds, lament- 
ing him for a day. And as many of us as survive the hate- 230 
ful combat ought to be mindful of drinking and of food, in 
order that we may ever the more ceaselessly contend with 
our enemies, having our bodies arrayed 2 in impenetrable 
brass : nor let any of the troops hang back, waiting for 
another exhortation. For badly will that exhortation be 235 
for him, who skulks at the ships of the Argives; but 
marching forth in a body, we will stir up the keen battle 
against the horse-taming Trojans." 

He said, and chose as his companions the sons of the 
glorious Nestor, and Meges, son of Phyleus, and Thoas, 240 

' votjfiaTi. 8 Of which. ° 9. 69. 

1 Belly. 2 Clothed as to our bodies. 



426 ILIAD XIX.— V. 241—269. 

and Meriones, and Lycomedes, son of Creion, and Mela- 
nippus; and they proceeded to go towards the tent of 
Agamemnon, son of Atreus; and then at once was the 
speech^ and the thing was done 3 . Seven tripods they 
brought from the tent, which he had promised him, and 

245 twenty splendid goblets, and twelve steeds ; and forthwith 
they led forth seven women, skilful in fine works, and the 
eighth was the fair-cheeked Briseis. And Ulysses, after 
weighing 4 full ten talents of gold, led the way, and with 
him the other youths of the Achaeans carried the presents, 
and placed them in the midst of the assembly ; and Aga- 

250 memnon stood up : and Talthybius, like to a god in his 
voice, stood beside the shepherd of the people, holding a 
boar with his hands. Then the son of Atreus, drawing 
with his hands the knife, which always hung by the great 
scabbard of his sword — beginning with the forelock of the 

255 boar — prayed, lifting up his hands to Jove; and all the 
Argives sat in silence in the same spot, listening with re- 
verence to the king. And, praying, he spake, looking to 
the wide heaven : 

" Now first let Jupiter be witness, the mightiest and 
best of the gods, — next, let the Earth, and the Sun, and 

260 the Furies, who under ground chastise men, whoever 
swears a falsehood — never have I laid my hand upon the 
maid Briseis, making use of her for concubinage, or for any 
other purpose; but immaculate she has remained in my 
tents. And if I have falsely sworn aught of these things, 
may the gods inflict on me those very numerous distresses 

265 which 5 they inflict on Mm, who sins against them by false 
swearing." 

He said, and cut the throat of the boar with the ruth- 
less knife ; and Talthybius, whirling it round, cast into 
the mighty water of the hoary sea, to be food for fishes. 
And Achilles, rising, said among the war-loving Ar- 
gives : 

3 L e. the thing was done forthwith — as soon as said. 

4 Placing — i. e. in the scale. 5 As many" as. 



ILIAD XIX.— V. 270—304. 427 

u O father Jove, great calamities givest thou to men ; 270 
for never could Atrides have excited 6 so thoroughly the in- 
dignation in my bosom, nor led away the girl, desperately, 
against my consent 7 — but Jupiter, for some purpose, willed 
that death should befal many Achoeans. Now then go to 275 
the repast, that we may begin the battle." 

Thus then he spake, and dismissed the hasty assembly. 
The rest then dispersed, each to his own ship ; and the 
brave Myrmidons attended to the presents, and went, bear- 
ing them to the ship of the godlike Achilles. These they 280 
laid up in the tents, and seated the women ; and his brave 
attendants drove the horses to the stud. And then Briseis, 
like to golden Venus, when she beheld Patroclus mangled 
with the dire spear, throwing herself about him, shrieked 
aloud, and with her hands tore her bosom, and her soft 285 
neck, and lovely face ; and the lady resembling goddesses, 
weeping, exclaimed : 

" O Patroclus, most dear to my wretched soul, alive I 
left thee, departing from the tent, but now, returning 
back, I find thee dead, O prince of the people. How 290 
evil upon evil always awaits me. The hero, to whom 
my father and venerable mother had given me, I saw 
mangled with the sharp sword before the city ; and three 
beloved brothers whom the same mother bore with me, all 
met the fatal day. Nevertheless, thou didst not suffer me, 295 
what time the swift Achilles slew my husband, and laid 
waste the city of the divine Mynes, to weep, but saidst 
that thou wouldst make me the wedded spouse of the 
noble Achilles, and take me in the ships to Phthia, and 
prepare the marriage feast with the Myrmidons. There- 300 
fore do I, without measure, lament thee dead, who wast 
ever kind to me." 

Thus she spake, weeping; and the women groaned 
around her, in appearance for Patroclus, but in reality each 
for her own ills. And around him (Achilles) collected the 



of his own will. 7 I being unwilling. 



428 ILIAD XIX.— V. 304—338. 

sages of the Achaeans, intreating him to eat : but he, groan- 
ing, refused : 

305 " I intreat you — if any of my beloved comrades be obe- 
dient to me — bid me not first satiate my heart with food 
nor drink ; for heavy grief invades me ; and I will wait till 
sunset, and endure it altogether without food." 

So saying, he dismissed the other princes ; but the two 

310 sons of Atreus remained, and noble Ulysses, Nestor, 
and Idomeneus, and Phoenix, the aged equestrian, sooth- 
ing him, constantly sorrowful ; nor could his soul be 
soothed, before he entered the mouth of bloody war. For, 
remembering Patroclus, he frequently heaved sighs, and 
said: 

315 " Once, thou too, O unhappy, dearest of my comrades, 
wouldst thyself have placed before me a joyful feast within 
my tent with speed and diligence 8 , when the Achaeans 
made haste to bring tearful war upon the horse-taming 
Trojans. But now thou liest mangled, and my heart is 

320 without drink and food, — though they are within 9 , — through 
regret for thee ; for I could not suffer aught else more dis- 
tressing, not even if I were to hear of the death of my 
father \ who perchance sheds the tender tear in Phthia 
for the absence of such a son ; and I, in a foreign state, 

325 wage war against the Trojans, for the sake of the abhorred 
Helen : or of him 2 , my beloved son, who is brought up at 
Scyros, if indeed he still lives, godlike Neoptolemus. For 
before, the soul within my bosom hoped, that I alone 
should perish here in Troy, far from horse-feeding Argos, 

330 and that thou wouldst return to Phthia, that thou mightest 
lead back my boy in thy black ship from Scyros, and show 
him every thing, my property, and my slaves, and large 

335 lofty-roofed abode. For now I suppose that Peleus is 
either quite dead, or, scarcely living, suffers pain from hated 
old age, and constantly expecting bad news respecting me 
— that he shall hear that I am dead." 

8 Quickly and carefully. 9 Being within. 

1 Of my father, dead. 2 tov — understand a Tro^OicOat, from line 322. 



ILIAD \I\. V. 339-371. \:>\) 

Thus he spake, weeping; and the sages also groaned, 
remembering each what he had left in his halls. And the 340 
son of Saturn felt compassion, beholding them mourning, 
and quickly addressed these winged words to Minerva: 

" My child, thou entirely now desertest thy brave hero. 
Is then Achilles no longer at all a care within thy mind? 
He himself is sitting before his high-beaked ships, lament- 345 
ing his beloved comrade ; and the rest have now gone to a 
repast, but he is empty and unfed. Go, therefore, instil 
into his breast nectar and delightful ambrosia, that hunger 
come not upon him/' 

So saying, he urged Minerva, previously eager, And 
she, in the likeness of a broad-winged, shrill-voiced harpa 3 , 350 
sprang down from heaven through the air. Meanwhile 
the Achreans were just arming throughout the camp ; and 
she instilled into the bosom of Achilles nectar and delight- 
ful ambrosia, that disagreeable hunger might not reach his 
knees. Then she departed to the solid mansion of her all- 355 
powerful father; and they poured forth apart from the 
swift ships. And as when thick snow-showers fly down 
from Jove, chilling beneath the force of the air-clearing 
Boreas ; so then from the ships were borne out thick 
helmets, brightly glittering, and bossed shields, and strong 4 360 
corslets, and ashen spears. And the flash uprose to 
heaven, and all the earth around laughed beneath the 
splendour of the brass ; and under them a trampling was 
raised from the feet of the men. And in the midst was 
armed noble Achilles, gnashing his teeth 5 , and his eyes 355 
sparkled like a flame of fire, for intolerable grief entered 
his heart within him ; and, furious against the Trojans, 
he put on the gifts of the god, at which Vulcan had toiled 
in making them for him. First around his legs he put the 
beautiful greaves, connected with silver clasps ; next again 370 
he placed the corslet round his breast, and threw round 
his shoulders the brazen, silver-hilted sword ; and then he 

3 A kind of eagle. 4 Strong in the hollows. 

5 In whose teeth there was, &c. 



430 ILIAD XIX.— V. 372—407. 

seized the shield, huge and solid, the splendour of which 
went afar, as of the moon. And as when the flame of a 

375 burning fire shines for sailors out at sea, for it blazes high 
up among the mountains on a solitary spot ; and them, 
against their will, storms have carried away from their 
friends over the fishy deep ; so from the shield of Achilles, 

380 beautiful, curiously wrought, a splendour reached the sky. 
And, lifting his strong helmet, he put it upon his head ; 
and the helmet, crested with horse-hair, glittered like a 
star ; and the golden crests, which Vulcan had formed thick 
round the cone, waved about. Then the noble Achilles 
tried himself in his arms, if they would fit him, and if his 

385 handsome limbs would move with ease within 6 ; and they 
were to him as wings, and lifted up the shepherd of the 
people. And from its case he drew forth his paternal 
spear, heavy, mighty, strong — -that no other of the Acheeans 
was able to brandish, but Achilles alone knew how to hurl 

390 it — a Pelian ash, which Chiron cut for his father from the 
top of Pelion, to be a destruction to heroes. And Auto- 
medon and Alcimus, caparisoning their horses, yoked 
them; and beautiful collars were upon them. And in 
their jaws they put the bridles, and extended the reins 

395 backwards towards the compact car ; and Automedon, 
seizing the shining lash, which was suited to his hand, 
leaped into the car ; and behind him mounted the armed 
Achilles, glittering in his armour, like the shining sun. 
And terribly he gave command to the steeds of his father : 

400 " Xanthus, and Balius, illustrious offspring of Podarges, 
resolve now in a different manner to bear back your driver 
in safety to the host of the Danaans, after we quit the 
battle, nor leave him there dead, like Patroclus." 

And him, from beneath the yoke, Xanthus, his fleet- 

405 footed steed, addressed, and instantly hung down his head, 
and his whole mane, falling down from the collar near the 
yoke, reached to the ground. And Juno, the white-armed 
goddess, gave him a tongue 7 . 

c Would run in them. 7 Made him speaking — '%. e. capable of speaking. 

12 



ILIAD XIX.— V. 408—425. 431 

u Now 8 , at least d o will bear thee safe, O impetuous 
Achillea : but thy fatal day draws near thee; nor shall we 410 
be to blame, but a mighty god, and powerful destiny. For 
neither by our laziness, nor want of spirit, did the Trojans 
strip the armour from the shoulders of Patroclus ; but the 
best of the gods, whom the fair-haired Latona bore, slew 
him among the foremost combatants, and gave the glory to 
Hector. We indeed can run even with the blast of Zephy- 415 
rus, which they say is most rapid of all; but to thyself is 
it decreed that thou be violently subdued by a god and a 
man • » 

Of him, then, having thus spoken, the Furies stopt the 
voice ; and swift-footed Achilles, greatly indignant, ad- 
dressed him : 

" Why, Xanthus, predictest thou death to me ? It 420 
does not at all become thee. Well do I likewise myself 
know, that it is my fate to perish here, far from my be- 
loved father and mother. Nevertheless I will not cease 
before I have routed the Trojans, and given them enough 
of war V 

He said, and, shouting among the foremost, drove on 
his solid-hoofed steeds. 



s ». e. this time. 9 That is, by Apollo in the form of, or by, Paris. 

1 aSrjv — to satiety. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER 



BOOK XX. 



ARGUMENT. 



The gods are permitted by Jove to join the battle. They take opposite 
sides and engage. iEneas engages Achilles, and is rescued by Neptune. 
Hector likewise fights, and is preserved by Apollo. Many Trojans slain 
by Achilles. 

Thus round thee, O son of Peleus, did the Achaeans, in- 
satiable of battle, arm beside their curved barks ; and the 
Trojans again, on the other side, on the acclivity * of the 
plain. And Jove commanded Themis to summon the gods 
5 to assembly, from the top of the many-valed Olympus ; 
and she, going round in every direction, bade them repair 
to the mansion of Jove. Nor was there then any one of 
the rivers absent, save Oceanus, nor of the nymphs who 
inhabit pleasant groves, and fountains of streams, and 

10 grassy meads. For, coming to the mansion of cloud- 
collecting Jove, they sat down in polished corridors, which 
Vulcan had made for father Jove with a skilful ingenuity. 
Thus were they assembled within the house of Jove ; nor 
did Neptune disobey the goddess, but came among them 

15 from the sea. And he sat in the midst, and inquired into 
the design of Jove : 

* K. 160. 



ILIAD XX.— V. 16—45. 433 

'• Why again; () dispenser of the rapid lightning, hast 
thou summoned the gods to council? Dost thou meditate 
aught respecting the Trojans and Achaeans ? For now 
very close glows their combat, and the battle. 55 

And him the cloud-compelling Jove, answering, ad- 
dressed: "Thou knowest, earth-shaker, the design within 20 
niv breast, and for whose sake I have assembled you ; 
though ready to die, they are a care to me. I will how- 
ever remain sitting on the brow of Olympus, whence 
looking, I shall amuse my mind ; and the rest of you de- 
part, that ye may go among the Trojans and Achaeans. 
Give aid to both, according as is the inclination of each. 25 
For if Achilles alone shall fight with the Trojans, they 
will not even for a little sustain the fleet son of Peleus. 
Even before, on beholding him, they fled in terror ; and 
now when he is deeply enraged in his mind on account of 
his comrade, I fear lest, even in spite of fate, he overthrow 30 
the wall V 

Thus spake the son of Saturn, and he excited a violent 
contest ; and the gods hastened to proceed to the battle, 
with minds divided 3 . Juno indeed, and Pallas Minerva 
repaired to the assemblage of the ships, and earth-shaking 
Neptune, and useful Mercury, who is blessed with a pru- 35 
dent mind; and with them went Vulcan, raging in his 
might, limping, and his weak limbs moved with all their 
force. And towards the Trojans went plumed Mars, and 
with him unshorn Phoebus, and Diana, delighting in 
archery, and Latona, and Xanthus, and laughter-loving 40 
Venus. As long then as the gods were apart from mortal 
men, so long did the Achaeans greatly congratulate them- 
selves 4 , because Achilles had made his appearance, after 
he had so long abstained from the dire battle ; and a vio- 
lent tremor came upon the Trojans, each at the limbs 
trembling, because they beheld the swift-footed son of 45 



2 i. e. it was fated to fall — but not by Achilles. 

3 i. e. some in favour of the Achseans, and some of the Trojans. 

4 Greatly gloried. 

F f 



434 ILIAD XX.— V. 46—80. 

Peleus glittering in arms, equal to man- slaying Mars. But 
when the Olympians came among the throng of men, then 
arose fierce Contention, exciter of armies; and Minerva 
shouted, sometimes standing beside the ditch, outside the 
50 wall, at other times loudly called along the resounding 
shores. And Mars yelled aloud on the other side, like to 
a dark whirlwind, sharply animating the Trojans from the 
summit of the city, at other times running beside the 
Simois upon Callicolone. 

Thus the blessed gods, animating both sides, engaged, 
55 and caused severe contention to burst in among them. 
And the father of gods and men thundered fearfully from 
above ; and below Neptune shook the unbounded earth, 
and lofty summits of mountains. And all the base 5 , and 
all the tops of Ida of many fountains were shaken, and the 
60 city of the Trojans, and the ships of the Achaeans. And 
Pluto himself, king of the shades, trembled below, and 
upsprang, appalled, from his throne, and screamed aloud, 
lest the earth-shaking Neptune should tear open the earth 
over him, and disclose to mortals and immortals his man- 
65 sions, terrible, squalid, which even the gods detest. So 
great a tumult then arose from the gods, closing in combat. 
For against king Neptune stood Phoebus Apollo with his 
winged arrows ; and against Mars blue-eyed goddess 
70 Minerva. And opposed to Juno stood the goddess of the 
golden arrows, shouting, Diana, rejoicing in the bow, sister 
of the far-darter ; and to Latona, the good Mercury was a 
powerful adversary. And against Vulcan also, was the 
mighty river of deep pools, which Gods call Xanthus, and 
men Scamander. 
75 Thus gods advanced against gods; and Achilles was 
above all eager to penetrate through the host against Hec- 
tor, son of Priam ; for with his blood his mind particularly 
urged him to glut Mars, the unconquered warrior. But 
Apollo, the exciter of the troops, immediately roused 
80 ^Eneas against the son of Peleus, and infused into him 

5 The feet. 



ILIAD XX.— V. 81—111. 435 

strong courage. And he likened himself in his voice to 
Lyeaon. son of Priam, to whom likening himself, he ad- 
dressed him : 

u Where, O zEneas, counsellor of the Trojans, are thy 
promises, which over thy wine thou didst make to the 
princes of the Trojans, that thou wouldst fight against 85 
Achilles, son of Peleus ?" 

And to him again ^Eneas, answering, said : " Son of 
Priam, why dost thou urge me, against my will, to these 
things, to fight against brave Pelides. For not now for 
the first time shall I stand against swift-footed Achilles, 90 
but already, even at a former time, did he chase me with 
his spear from Ida, what time he attacked our cattle, and 
laid waste Lyrnessus and Pedasus ; but Jupiter preserved 
me, who invigorated my strength and active limbs. Other- 
wise I should have been subdued by the hands of Achilles, 95 
and Minerva, who, advancing before him, gave him glory, 
and bade him slay the Lelegans and Trojans with his 
brazen spear. Wherefore it is not possible for a man to 
combat against Achilles, for beside him is always one of the 
gods, who wards off destruction. Besides also, his weapon 
flies direct, nor stops until it has pierced the body of the 100 
man — though should the deity stretch equally the work of 
battle 6 , not very easily would Achilles conquer me, not if 
he boasts to be all over brass V 

And to him again king Apollo, son of Jove, said : " But 
come, pray thou likewise, O hero, to the everlasting gods ; 105 
for they say that thou too art sprung from Venus, daugh- 
ter of Jove, while he is from an inferior goddess ; for the 
one is the daughter of Jove, and the other of the aged sea- 
god. Bear then thy ruthless brass right against him, 
nor let him at all avert thee with fierce words and threat- 
ening." 

So saying, he breathed great courage into the shep- 110 
herd of the people ; and ^Eneas advanced through the fore- 

i. e. if he would be neutral — or favour each equally. A. 836. 
7 Or, not if he were made of brass — or entirely covered and protected by it. 
F f 2 



436 ILIAD XX.— V. 112— ]42. 

most combatants, armed in glittering brass. Nor did the 
son of Anchises escape the observation of the white-armed 
Juno, when going against Pelides through the ranks of 
men ; but, calling the gods into one place, she delivered a 
speech amongst them : 

115 " Ponder now, both of you, O Neptune and Minerva, 
in your minds, how these things shall be. That ^Eneas, 
armed in glittering brass, is advancing against Pelides ; 
and Phoebus Apollo has urged him on. Come then, let us 
drive him back again thence ; or, next, let some one of us 

120 stand by Achilles, and give him great strength, nor let 
him want aught in courage, that he may know that the 
mightiest of the immortals love him ; and that those, on 
the contrary, are of no value, who all along before avert 
war and slaughter from the Trojans. For we have all 

125 come down from Olympus to take part in this battle, in 
order that he may not suffer any thing among the Trojans 
to-day ; although hereafter he shall suffer those things, as 
many as fate spun in his early thread of life, what time 
his mother bore him. But if Achilles shall not understand 
these things from the voice of a god, he will afterwards be 

130 afraid when any god comes against him in battle ; for the 
gods are terrible to be seen manifestly 8 ." 

And her answered then Neptune, shaker of the earth : 
" Juno, be not absurdly enraged ; nor is there occasion 9 . 
I, indeed, would not desire that we * should provoke the 

1 35 other gods to battle, though we are much more powerful. 
Rather let us sit down, retiring out of the way, to some 
height, and let the war be the care of mortals. But if 
Mars begin the combat, or Apollo, or they restrain Achilles, 

140 an d su ff er nmi not to fight, then at once on the spot, a 
strife of battle shall arise even to us ; and very speedily I 
deem that they 2 , driven 3 from the field, will go back to 



8 %. e. in propria persona. 

9 Nor does it become thee — or, rather, nor needest thou — i. e. be so much 
enraged. x i. e. we who are patrons of the Achseans. 

2 i. e. Mars and Apollo — the gods of the adverse party. | 3 Separated. 



ILIAD XX.— V. 143— 175. 437 

Olympus, to the assembly of the other gods, forcibly sub- 
dued by necessity under our hands." 

Thus then having spoken, the god of the azure hair led 
the way to the lofty surrounding wall of divine Hercules 145 
— that which the Trojans and Pallas Minerva had made, 
in order that, when flying from the sea-monster, he might 
escape, what time it drove him in pursuit from the shore 
to the plain. There then Neptune sat down, and the other 
gods, and threw an impenetrable cloud round their shoul- 150 
ders ; and on the other side, upon the tops of Callicolone, 
sat st thou Phoebus 4 , the archer, and Mars, the destroyer 
of cities. Thus sat they on both sides, meditating plans ; 
and both were unwilling to commence grievous war, though 155 
Jove, sitting aloft, instigated them. But with Trojans and 
Achaeans all the plain was filled, and glittered with the 
brass of heroes and horses, and the earth echoed under 
the feet of them, rushing together. But two heroes, by 
far the most valiant, advanced towards each other into the 160 
midst of both armies, eager to fight, JEneas, son of An- 
chises, and noble Achilles. And ^Eneas first, threatening, 
advanced, waving the crest on his strong casque ; and he 
held before his breast his good 5 shield, and shook his 
brazen spear. And on the other side Pelides rushed against 
him like a destructive lion, which even assembled men, a 165 
whole village, keenly seek to kill ; and he, at first despising 
them, walks on ; but when some one of the warlike youths 
wounds him with a dart, gasping, he writhes, and the 
foam rises about his teeth, and his stout heart groans 
within his breast, and he lashes his sides and haunches on 170 
both sides with his tail, and rouses himself to battle ; then, 
with glaring eye, he rushes right on in his might, that he 
may slay some one of the men, or be himself destroyed in 
the first throng. Thus his courage and mighty soul im- 
pelled Achilles to go against brave ^Eneas. And when 175 

* Those around thee, Phoebus and Mars — i. e. Phoebus and Mars — unless 
it may mean, as the phrase usually does, them and their suite. 

5 A shield which could be wielded with facility — from its construction. 



438 ILIAD XX.— V. 176—205. 

now, advancing, they approached each other, swift-footed, 
noble Achilles first addressed the other : 

£e Why dost thou, iEneas, stand there, coming in front 
of so great an army 6 ? Does then thy soul urge thee to 
combat with me, hoping that thou wilt govern the horse- 

180 taming Trojans with the dignity of Priam 7 ? Yet even if 
thou shouldst slay me, not for that will Priam put such a 
reward in thy hand ; for he has sons ; and he is himself 
steady 8 , and not fickle-minded. Or, have the Trojans cut 
thee out an estate surpassing others, well adapted for vines, 

185 or for the plough, that thou mayst cultivate it — shouldst 
thou kill me? Still with difficulty I hope thou wilt do 
it 9 . For already, I think, have I elsewhere put thee to 
flight with my spear. Or, dost thou not remember when 
I impetuously drove thee, alone, from the oxen, with rapid 

190 feet, down the Idaean mountains ? For then thou never 
turned thyself about whilst flying ; but didst escape thence 
into Lyrnessus ; and that town I laid waste, after storm- 
ing it, with the aid of Minerva and father Jove. The 
women also I led away captives, having taken away their 
day of freedom ; but thee Jove ever rescued, and the other 

195 gods. Not now, however, do I think they will protect 
thee, as thou deemest a in thy mind ; therefore I advise thee, 
retiring, to go into the throng, nor stand against me, before 
thou sufferest some evil ; even a fool knows that which is 
done 2 ." 

Him again, iEneas answered, and said: "Do not ex- 

200 pect, son of Peleus, to terrify me, like a child, with words, 
since I also myself know very well how to utter both threats 
and taunts. And we know each other's race, and we know 
our parents, hearing the words, heard of old, of mortal 

205 men ; although by sight, never hast thou seen mine, nor I 



6 Or — so much in advance of the army, what is your object ? 

7 i. e. in the hope that thou shalt be king instead of Priam. 

8 i. e. a prudent man. 

9 i. e. I am afraid thou wilt have some difficulty. * Castest. 

2 i. e. your own experience might teach you better than to encounter me. 



ILIAD XX.— V. 206—244. 439 

thine. They say that thou art the offspring of renowned 
Peleus, and of Thetis, thy mother, the fair-haired sea 
nymph; but I boast myself to be sprung from brave An- 
chises, and Venus is my mother. Of these, now, one or 
other shall this day lament their beloved son; for I think 210 
that we shall not return from the battle thus separated by 
childish words. But if thou desirest to be instructed in 
these matters, that thou mayst be well acquainted with 
our race — and many men know it — cloud-compelling Jove 
then begat Dardanus, our first ancestor. And he founded 215 
Dardania ; for sacred Ilium, the city of articulate-speaking 
men, was not yet built on the plain, and they still dwelt 
at the foot of Ida of many fountains. Dardanus, again, 
begat a son, king Ericthonius, who was then the wealthiest 220 
of mortal men ; three thousand mares of his fed in the 
meadows, exulting in their tender foals. With these, when 
feeding, was Boreas pleased, and, having assimilated him- 
self to an azure-maned steed, covered them ; whence they, 225 
becoming pregnant, produced twelve foals ; which, when 
they frolicked upon the fruitful earth, ran over the highest 
fruit of the corn-stalks, nor snapped them : but again, 
when they frolicked upon the broad back of the ocean, 
they used to run upon the top of the ridge of the hoary sea. 230 
And Ericthonius begat Tros, king of the Trojans. From 
Tros, again, were descended three illustrious sons, Ilus, 
and Assaracus, and the godlike Ganymede, who was the 
handsomest of mortal men ; and whom the gods snatched 
up into heaven to pour out wine for Jove, that, on account 235 
of his beauty, he might dwell among the immortals. And 
Ilus again begat his renowned son Laomedon ; and Lao- 
medon next begat Tithonus, and Priam, and Lampus, and 
Clytius, and Hicetaon, a branch of Mars ; and Assaracus 
begat Capys, and he next begat his son Anchises. And 240 
Anchises begat me, and Priam the noble Hector. Of this 
family and blood do I boast myself to be. Jove however 
increases and diminishes valour among men, in what man- 
ner he chooses ; for he is the most powerful of all. Come 



440 ILIAD XX.— V. 245—278. 

245 then, let us talk of these things no more, like children, 
standing in the middle combat of the strife. For it is in 
the power of both to utter very many insults ; nor could a 
ship of an hundred oars carry the burthen ; for the tongue 
of mortals is voluble, and in it are many words of all sorts ; 

250 and on both sides is a wide field of words. Whatever 
word thou speakest, such wilt thou hear. But what need 
is there for us to be disputing, and to rail 3 at each other 
like women, who, enraged for some deadly strife, going 

255 into the middle of the road, rail at each other abuse just 
and not just ; for rage also urges on those things *. But 
with words thou shalt not turn away me from force, re- 
solved as I am first to fight against thee in arms 5 . Come 
then, quick let us make trial 6 of each other with brazen 
spears." 

He said, and hurled his heavy spear against the awful, 

260 terrible shield, and the huge buckler resounded around at 
the stroke of the javelin. And the son of Peleus, alarmed, 
held the shield from him with his strong hand, for he sup- 
posed that the long spear of the brave ^Eneas would easily 
penetrate it — foolishly, for he did not reflect in his mind 

265 and soul, that it is not easy for the glorious gifts of the 
gods to be subdued by mortal men ; nor to yield to them. 
Nor then did the heavy spear of the war-like ^Eneas pene- 
trate the shield ; for the gold stayed it, the gifts of a god. 
Through two folds, however, it past, but there were still 

270 three ; for Vulcan had laid five folds over it, two brazen, 
two within of tin, and one golden — that by which the 
ashen spear was stopped. Next Achilles, in turn, launched 
his long spear, and struck against the shield of JSneas, 

275 every where equal, at the utmost verge, where ran the brass 
thinnest, and the ox- hide was thinnest upon it ; and the 
Pelian ash burst right through, and the shield rang under 
it. And ^Eneas cowered, and held the shield from him, 

3 epidag — scil. tpiZiiv—vtiKea veiKfiv, to rail railings. 
f * i. e. prompt to utter all sorts of things, true and false. 

5 With brass. 6 Taste. 



ILIAD XX. — V. 279 — 309. 141 

alarmed ; but the spear flying over his shoulder, stood in 
the earth eager to go on, and it had cut through both 280 
circles of the mighty shield. He, however, having escaped 
the long spear, stood (and infinite terror spread over his 
eyes 7 ) panic-struck, that the weapon stuck so near him. 
And Achilles sprang eagerly upon him, drawing his sharp 
sword, and shouting fearfully. And ^Eneas seized in his 285 
hand a stone, a huge mass 8 , which not two men could 
bear, such as are mortals now ; and he, even alone, threw 
it easily. Then would ^Eneas have smitten him, while 
rushing on, with the rock, either upon the helmet or the 
shield, which defended him from dire destruction; and 
Pelides, close to him, would have deprived him of life with 290 
his sword, had not earth-shaking Neptune quickly per- 
ceived it, and immediately uttered this speech among the 
immortal gods : 

" Ye gods ! there is pity in me for the brave ^Eneas, 
who will soon, subdued by the son of Peleus, descend to 
Hades, persuaded, like a fool, by the words of the far- 295 
darting Apollo ; nor will he avert from him dire destruc- 
tion. But why now should that guiltless man suffer 
sorrows for the sake of others' enmities 9 — and he always 
gives acceptable gifts to the gods who possess the wide 
heaven ? Come then, let us take him away from death, 300 
lest even the son of Saturn be angry, should Achilles slay 
this man ; — x for it is his fate to escape, that the family of 
Dardanus, whom Jove loved above all the children, which 
were descended from him and mortal women, perish not 305 
without offspring, and be extinct. For the son of Saturn 
has long hated the race of Priam ; and now will the might 
of JEneas henceforth govern the Trojans, and the sons of 
his sons, who shall be born in after time 2 ." 

And him answered then the large-eyed, imperial Juno : 



7 /'. e. blinded him— took all perception from him. 

8 A great work — or thing. 9 i. e. those of Apollo. 

1 The possibility of counteracting fate is frequently implied. 

2 i. e. for ever 



442 ILIAD XX.— V. 310-343. 

310 " Shaker of the earthy do thou consider within thy mind 
about ^Eneas, whether thou wilt defend him or suffer him, 
to be subdued^ brave as he is, by Achilles, the son of 
Peleus. For we indeed, I and Pallas Minerva, have 
sworn many oaths in the presence of all the immortals, 

315 that we will never avert the evil day from the Trojans — 
not even when all Troy, lighted up, shall burn with de- 
structive flame, and the warlike sons of the Achaeans set it 
on fire." 

And when Neptune, the shaker of the earth, heard this, 
he hastened to advance through the battle and the clash 

320 of spears ; and came where was ^Eneas, and the renowned 
Achilles. Immediately then he poured darkness upon the 
eyes of Achilles, son of Peleus, and he drew out the brass- 
tipped 3 ash from the shield of brave JEneas ; and it he 
laid before the feet of Achilles, and forcibly impelled 

325 iEneas along, lifting him high from the ground. And 
over many ranks of men and many ranks of horses iEneas 
leaped, urged along by the hand of the god ; and he came 
to the rear of the troubled fight, where the Caucones were 
arming for war. And very near him came Neptune, 

330 shaker of the earth, and, addressing him, uttered these 
winged words : 

" iEneas, which of the gods bade thee, thus mad, to fight 
and combat against Achilles, who is at once superior to 

335 thee, and dearer to the immortals ? Fall back then, when- 
ever thou shalt encounter him, lest, even in spite of fate, 
thou arrive at the mansion of Pluto. When, however, 
Achilles shall have fulfilled his death and destiny, then 
indeed, with 4 confidence, fight among the foremost, for no 
other of the Achaeans shall slay thee." 

340 So saying, he left him there, when he had told him all ; 
and immediately then he dispersed the thick darkness from 
the eyes of Achilles. And he then saw again clearly with 
his eyes ; and, groaning, he communed with his own brave 
spirit : 

3 ii'%a\(cog. 4 Taking confidence. 



ILIAD XX.— V. 344—374. 44-3 

u Ye gods ! surely a great marvel this 5 I behold with 
my eyes. That spear lies upon the ground, nor do I at 345 

all behold the man at whom I threw it, eager to kill him. 
Undoubtedly JSneas also was dear to the immortal gods ; 
but I thought that he boasted thus idly. Let him go ; 
there will be no heart in him again to make trial of me, 
who has now gladly escaped from death. Come then, 350 
animating the war-loving Danaans, I will go against the 
rest of the Trojans, and try them/ 5 

He said, and sprang into the ranks, and animated every 
man : " No longer now stand aloof from the Trojans, ye 
noble Achaeans, but come, let man advance against man, 355 
and burn to engage. For it is difficult for me, even 
strong as I am, to attack so many warriors, and to fight 
with them all. Nor could Mars, who is an immortal god, 
nor Minerva, charge and toil against the front of so vast 
an army. Yet whatever I can do with hands, with feet, 360 
and with strength, I declare that I will never relax — not 
the least ; but I will go right through their line, nor do I 
think that any Trojan will rejoice, whoever may come near 
my javelin." 

Thus he spake, encouraging them. And illustrious 
Hector animated the Trojans, upbraiding — and said he 365 
would go against Achilles : 

u Ye bold Trojans, fear not the son of Peleus. I also 
could fight with words, even against the immortals 6 ; but 
with the spear it would be difficult, for they are more 
powerful than we. Nor will Achilles give effect to all 
his words, but part he shall fulfil, and part leave mid- 370 
way imperfect. But I will go against him, even if his 
hands were like to fire 7 — if his hands were like to fire, and 
his might to shining iron." 

Thus he spake, animating them ; and the Trojans lifted 
their spears against the foe ; and their might was mingled 

s This is a great miracle. 

6 i. e. if words would do, I could fight even with the gods — or, I would 
challenge the gods. 7 If he were like to fire as to his hands. 



444 ILIAD XX.— V. 375—406. 

375 together, and the shout arose. Then also Phoebus Apollo, 
standing near, addressed Hector : 

" Hector, no more by any means fight in front with 
Achilles, but await him in the throng, and from among the 
tumult, lest by some chance he strike thee with a missile 
weapon, or smite thee close with his sword." 

Thus he spake, and Hector again plunged into the thick 

380 column of men, dismayed when he heard the voice of the 
god addressing him. And Achilles leaped among the Tro- 
jans with a soul clothed in courage 8 , fearfully shouting ; 
and first slew the gallant Iphition, son of Otrynteus, 
leader of numerous forces, whom a Naiad bore to Otryn- 

385 teus, destroyer of cities, at the foot 9 of snowy Tmolus, 
in the rich state of Hyda. And him, while eagerly rush- 
ing right forward^ noble Achilles smote with his spear, in 
the middle of the head, which was all cleft asunder. And he, 
falling, gave a sound, and noble Achilles gloried over him : 
"Thou liest, son of Otrynteus, most terrible of all men. 

390 Here is thy death ; but thy birth was at the Gygaean lake, 
where is thy paternal estate, beside the fishy Hyllus, and 
eddying Hermus." 

Thus he spake, boasting ; and darkness covered his 
(Iphition'sJ eyes, and the horses of the Achaeans crushed 

395 him with the tires of the wheels in the front line. And 
after him Achilles smote Demoleon, son of Antenor, a 
brave repeller of war, in the temples, through the brazen- 
studded helmet. Nor indeed did the brazen casque resist 
it, but through it the rushing javelin broke the bone, and 

400 the whole brain within was dispersed. Thus he subdued 
him, glowing with courage. And next he wounded with 
his spear, in the back, Hippodamas, in the act of leaping 
down from his chariot, when flying before him. And he 
breathed out, and groaned away his soul, as when a bull, 

405 forcibly dragged round the Heliconian king *, groans^ whilst 
the youths are dragging it ; and the shaker of the earth is 

8 Clothed in his mind with courage. 9 Under, 

1 Neptune ; so called, because worshipped on Mount Helicon. 



ILIAD XX.— V. 407—436. 445 

delighted with them : so, as he groaned, his fierce soul 
quitted his bones. And he went with his spear in chase 
of the godlike Polydorus, a son of Priam ; and him his 
father had not at all suffered to combat, because he was 
his youngest among all by birth, and was dearest to him, 410 
and excelled all in speed. Then indeed, through youthful 
folly, making a show of the excellence of his speed, he ran 
among the foremost combatants till he lost his life. The 
noble, swift-footed Achilles smote him with a spear in the 
middle of the back as he rushed by, where the golden 41 5 
buckles of his belt clasped together, and the double corslet 
opposed. And the point of the spear pierced right through 
his navel, and he fell, groaning, upon his knees ; and a 
black cloud covered him, and, bending down, he gathered 
his entrails towards him with his hands. And Hector, — 
as soon as he perceived his brother Polydorus holding his 420 
bowels in his hands, and rolled towards the earth, — a mist 
immediately spread over his eyes, nor could he longer bear 
to exert himself 2 afar off, but advanced against Achilles 
like a flame, brandishing his sharp spear. On the other 
hand, Achilles, as soon as he saw him, leaped up, and 
boasting, uttered this speech : 

" Near me is the man, who has most stung my soul, 425 
who has slain my most beloved comrade ; nor shall we 
longer timidly fly each other in the ranks of war." 

He said, and looking sternly, addressed noble Hector : 
" Draw nearer, that thou mayst the sooner reach the goal 
of destruction/' 

And to him, not alarmed, the plumed Hector said : 430 
" Do not hope, son of Peleus, to terrify me now like a 
child with words ; for I can 3 myself very well utter both 
taunts and threats. And I know that thou indeed art 
brave, and that I am much inferior to thee. But, how- 
ever, these things lie on the knees of the gods 4 — whether 
I, though inferior, may not take from thee thy life, by 435 

2 To be turned. 3 I know. 

4 i c if the gods please, I, though inferior, may take, &o. 



446 ILIAD XX.— V; 436—469. 

smiting thee with my spear ; for my spear also is sharp at 
the point." 

. He said; and brandishing- his spear, hurled it, and 
Minerva with a breath turned it back from the glorious 

440 Achilles, breathing very softly ; and it came back to noble 
Hector, and fell before his feet. And Achilles, eager to slay 
him, rushed furiously upon him, shouting fearfully ; and 
Apollo, as a god, very easily snatched Hector away, and 
covered him with a thick cloud. Thrice then sprang swift- 
footed, noble Achilles after him with his brazen spear, and 

445 thrice struck the thick cloud. And when he rushed upon 
him, like a god, the fourth time, terribly threatening, he 
addressed to him these winged words : 

" Dog, now again hast thou escaped death. But truly 
evil came very near thee ; and Phcebus Apollo now again 

450 preserved thee, to whom thou art wont to pray when 
going amidst the clang of spears. Yet I will undoubtedly 
finish thee, when encountering thee another time — if to 
me also there be any of the gods an assistant. But for the 
present I will attack others of the Trojans, whom I may 
overtake." 

455 So saying, he smote Dry ops with his spear in the middle 
of the neck, and»he fell before his feet. But him he quitted, 
and, wounding Demuchus, the son of Philetor, a warrior 
brave and mighty, in the knee with his javelin, he stopt 
him ; and then smiting him with his huge falchion, de- 

460 prived him of life. And, rushing at Laogonus and Dar- 
danus, the sons of Bias, both of them he dashed from the 
car to the ground, wounding the one with his spear, and 
striking the other, close, with his sword. Also Tros, son 
of Alastor — he (Tros) came towards him, taking him by 
the knees, that he might spare him, and send him away 

465 alive, nor slay him, taking pity on his age, which was equal 
to his own — foolishly, for he knew not this, that he was 
not likely to persuade him. For he was not a man of ten- 
der mind, nor gentle, but extremely fierce. He (Tros) then 
clasped his knees with his hands, seeking to intreat him, 

12 



ILIAD XX.— V. 470—499. 447 

but Achilles smote him in the liver with his sword ; and 470 
his liver fell out, and the black blood from it filled his 
bosom, and darkness covered his eyes, deprived of life. 
Thou Achilles, standing near Mulius, wounded him with 
his javelin in the ear, and immediately the brazen point 
went through the other ear. And with his large-hilted 
sword he struck Echelus, the son of Antenor, in the mid- 475 
die of the head, and the whole blade was warmed with 
gore ; and purple death, and powerful fate seized his eyes. 
And next, where the tendons of the arm unite 5 there he 
pierced Deucalion through the hand with his brazen spear ; 
and he, with a hand weighed down 6 , awaited him, seeing 480 
death before him. And smiting his neck with his sword, 
Achilles struck the head far away along with its helmet, 
and the marrow sprang from the spine ; and Deucalion lay 
stretched upon the ground. Then he hastened in pursuit 
of Rigmus, renowned son of Pireus, who had come from 485 
fertile Thrace — him he struck in the middle with his jave- 
lin, and the brass stuck in his belly ; and he fell from his 
car. And Achilles wounded in the back, with his sharp 
spear, Areithoiis, the attendant, while turning back the 
horses, and thrust him from the car : and his steeds were 
affrighted. And as blazing fire rages through the deep 490 
glens of a dry mountain, and the thick forest burns, and 
the driving wind whirls about on all sides the flame ; thus 
he rushed in every direction with his spear, like to a god, 
pressing upon those doomed to slaughter 7 , and the black 
earth flowed with blood. And as when any one yokes 495 
broad-fronted bulls to tread out the white barley on a well- 
rolled floor, and it soon becomes empty 8 beneath the feet 
of the loud-lowing bulls; so the solid-hoofed horses, 
driven by the brave Achilles, trampled down at once 
corpses and shields. And the whole axle-tree beneath 



5 i. e. with the hand — the wrist. 

fi Rendered heavy as to the hand. 

7 About to be slain. 8 i. e. the corn gets beaten of the ears. 



448 ILIAD XX.— V. 500—503. 

500 was splashed with blood, and the panels round the car, 
which drops from the horses 5 hoofs sprinkled 9 , as well 
as from the felloes. And the son of Peleus was eager to 
bear away renown, and drenched his invincible hands with 
gore. 

9 Struck. 



the 



ILIAD OF HOMER, 



BOOK XXI. 



ARGUMENT. 



Achilles, having divided the Trojan army, drives one part to the city, and 
the other into the Scamander, where he takes twelve youths alive to he 
sacrificed at the tomb of Patroclus. Lycaon, who had been formerly 
taken, is now slain by Achilles. The river endeavours to overwhelm 
Achilles, but is opposed by Vulcan, and desists. The battles of the gods. 
Apollo, in the form of Agenor, leads Achilles away from the town, and the 
Trojans in the mean time rush in, and shut the gates. 

But, when at last they came to the stream of the fair- 
flowing river, the eddying Xanthus, to which immortal 
Jove gave birth ; there dividing them, some 1 he drove to 
the plain towards the city, where 2 the Achaeans the day 
before had fled in confusion, when the illustrious Hector 5 
raged. By that road flying in terror, they poured along; 
but Juno, to check them, spread a dense cloud before 
them. And the other half were driven into the deep- 
flowing, silver-eddying river. And in they dashed with a 
mighty clamour ; and the deep streams resounded, and ^q 
the banks echoed all around ; and, with an outcry, they 



i. e. one part — with reference to line 7- 
i. e. where Patroclus was repulsed and slain. 

G 2 



450 ILIAD XXL— V. 12—41. 

swam here and there, driven about in the eddies. And as, 
when locusts, driven out by the force of the fire, soar into 
the air, to fly towards a river, but the unwearied flame, 
suddenly excited, blazes, and they drop, astounded, into the 

15 water; so was the resounding stream of the deep-flowing 
Xanthus, filled pell-mell with horses and men, routed by 
Achilles. And the Jove-born hero left there his spear upon 
the banks, reclined against a tamarisk ; and he sprang in, 
like a god, with nothing but his sword 3 , and meditated 

20 dreadful deeds in his mind. In every direction 4 he smote, 
and a shocking groaning arose of those who were smitten 
by the sword, and the water was reddened with blood. 
And as other fishes, flying from a mighty dolphin, fill the 
recesses of a safe-anchoring harbour, frightened — for he 

25 devours whichever he catches — so the Trojans hid them- 
selves under the banks along the streams of the rapid river. 
And, when his hands were weary with slaying, he selected 
twelve youths alive out of the river, as an expiation of the 
dead Patroclus, son of Menoetius. These he led out, panic- 

30 struck, like fawns ; and bound their hands behind them 
with the well-cut straps 5 , which they themselves wore upon 
their twisted tunics ; and gave them to his comrades to 
take down to the hollow ships. And he rushed back again, 
eager to slay. 

Then did he encounter Lycaon, the son of the Dardan 

35 Priam, escaping from the river — whom he himself had 
once carried away, seizing him against his will, at his 
father's farm, going thither in the night : and he (Lycaon), 
with a sharp weapon, was cutting a wild fig-tree, the young 
boughs of it, to be the panels of a car 6 . Upon him then 
came the noble Achilles, an unlooked-for evil ; and then, 

40 conveying him in his ships, he took him over to well- 
inhabited Lemnos ; and the son of Jason gave his price 7 . 



3 Having his sword alone. 4 Around — right and left. 

5 These might he belts ; and the twisted tunics, chain-mail. 

'Tvytg — which were thus 

?. bought him as a slave. 



ILIAD XXI.— V. 42—73. 451 

And from thence Eetion, of Imbros, his friend, redeemed 
him, and gave him many presents, and sent him to the 
noble Arisba ; "whence, secretly flying, he reached his 45 
father's house. And returning from Lemnos, he had de- 
lighted his soul for eleven days with his friends ; but now 
on the twelfth a god threw him again into the hands of 
Achilles, who was going to send him to Hades, though 
unwilling to go. And when swift-footed noble Achilles 
beheld him naked, without helmet and shield — neither had 50 
he a spear, but had cast all from him on the ground, for 
the sweat overcame him, flying from the river, and weari- 
ness broke down his limbs under him — then enraged 
Achilles communed with his own brave soul : 

a Gods ! a great miracle this I behold with my eyes. 
Without doubt those bold Trojans whom I have slain will 55 
rise again from the pitchy shade — such as even this man 
has arrived, escaping from his fatal day, though sold 8 into 
beautiful Lemnos ; nor has the depth of the salt sea re- 
strained him, which restrains many against their will. 
Come then, he shall taste the point of my spear, that 60 
I may see in my mind, and learn, whether he will in 
like manner come even thence, or whether the boun- 
teous earth will hold him, which holds under it even the 
mighty " 

Thus he meditated, standing still; and Lycaon came 
close to him, panic-struck, eager to touch his knees ; for 65 
much did he wish in his mind to escape evil death and 
black fate. Mean while noble Achilles lifted his long 
spear, eager to strike ; but Lycaon ran under it, and, stoop- 
ing, caught him by the knees, and the spear stood in the 
earth over his back, eager to be glutted with human blood. 70 
And grasping his knees with one hand, he supplicated, and 
with the other held the sharp spear, nor let it go ; and, 
beseeching, addressed to him these winged words : 

u I supplicate thee, O Achilles ; and do thou have re- 



8 i. e. transported and sold. 
Gg2 



452 ILIAD XXI.— V. 74—108. 

spect unto me, and pity me. I am to thee in the place of 

75 a revered 9 suppliant, O Jove-supported chief. For with 
thee first did I taste the fruit of Ceres on that day, when 
thou didst seize me in the well-cultivated field, and didst 
sell me, carrying me far away from my father and friends 
to beautiful Lemnos ; and I brought thee a price of an hun- 

80 dred oxen. And now I have been redeemed x , giving thrice 
as many ; and this is but my twelfth morning, since, after 
suffering much, I came to Troy. And now again has de- 
structive fate put me into thy hands. I seem somehow to 
be hated by father Jove, who has again given me to thee. 

85 Short-lived did my mother Laothoe, daughter of aged 
Altes, bear me — of Altes, who governs the war- loving Le- 
leges, possessing lofty Pedasus, near the Satnioeis : whose 
daughter Priam had in marriage, as well as many others — 
of her were we two born, and thou wilt slaughter both. 
One thou hast already subdued among the foremost in- 

90 fantry, godlike Polydorus, when thou didst smite him with 
thy sharp spear ; and now evil will be upon me here ; for 
I expect not that I shall escape thy hands, since a god has 
brought me near thee. But I will tell thee another thing, 

95 and do thou cast it 2 in thy mind. Kill me not, since I am 
not of the same womb with Hector, who slew thy compa- 
nion, both gentle and brave." 

Thus then the illustrious son of Priam addressed him, 
intreating with words ; but heard a rough reply : 
100 " Fool, talk not to me of ransom, nor name it. Before 
Patroclus fulfilled his fatal day, then was it more agreeable 
to me in my mind to spare the Trojans, and many I took 
alive, and sold. But now there is not one of all the Tro- 
jans, whom a god shall throw into my hands in front of 
105 Ilium, who shall escape death, and above all of the sons of 
Priam. And die thou also, friend — why lamentest thou 
thus? Patroclus likewise died, who was much braver 
than thou. Seest thou not what I am ? — both handsome 

9 i e. entitled to respect— one who flies for refuge, as to an asylum. 

2 i. e. attend to it. 



ILIAD XXI.— V. 109—139. 453 

ami mighty, and of how gallant a father I am, and a god- 
dess mother bore me ; yet even upon me death and power- 1]0 
ful fate will come, either in the morning, or the evening, 
or at noon, when some one shall deprive me of life with a 
weapon, whether wounding me with a spear, or an arrow 
from the string/' 

Thus he spake, and then loosened the knees and be- 
loved heart of him. The spear indeed he left — and the 115 
other sat, stretching out both hands. But Achilles, draw- 
ing his sharp sword, smote him on the collar bone near the 
neck. And the whole two-edged sword entered in ; and, 
extended at length, Lycaon lay prone upon the ground, 
and the black blood flowed out, and stained the earth. 120 
Then Achilles, seizing him by the foot, threw him into the 
river, to be carried down ; and boasting, addressed to him 
these winged words : 

" Lie there now among the fishes, which will lick up 
the blood of thy wound without any concern for thee 3 ; 
nor shall thy mother weep, placing thee upon the bier, 
but the eddying Scamander shall bear thee even to the 125 
wide bosom of the sea. Some fish in the wave, leaping 
up, will come up to the dark ripple 4 — which will eat the 
white fat of Lycaon. Perish, Trojans, till we possess the 
city of sacred Ilium ; ye indeed, flying, and I slaughtering 
in your rear : nor shall the wide-flowing, silver-eddying 130 
river avail you, to which ye have long sacrificed many 
bulls, and cast in alive solid-hoofed horses in its waves. 
But even thus shall ye die an evil death, till ye all suffer 
vengeance for the fall of Patroclus, and the slaughter of 
those Achaeans, whom ye slew at the swift ships, during 135 
my absence 5 ." 

Thus then he spake ; but the river-god was more enraged 
in his heart, and meditated in his mind how he might cause 
the noble Achilles to cease from martial toil 6 , and avert 
slaughter from the Trojans. But mean while the son of 

3 i. e. without concern for thy funeral. 4 When the body floats. 

5 I being apart. 6 ttvvoq — repeatedly for fiaxrj. 



454 ILIAD XXL— V. 140—171. 

140 Peleus, holding his long spear, sprang upon Asteropaeus, 
son of Pelegon, eager to kill him ; and him the wide-flow- 
ing Axius begot, and Peribcea, eldest of the daughters of 
Acessamenus, for with her had the deep river mingled. 
Against him then Achilles rushed ; but he, emerging from 

145 the river, stood before him, holding two spears ; and Xan- 
thus had sent courage into his heart, for he was filled with 
anger on account of the youths slain in battle, whom 
Achilles had slaughtered in his stream, and pitied not. 
And when, advancing, they were now near to each other, 
swift-footed noble Achilles first addressed him : 

150 « Who, of what men 7 art thou, who venturest to come 
against me ? They are sons of unhappy men, who encounter 
my might." 

And him, in return, the illustrious son of Pelegon ad- 
dressed : u Brave son of Peleus, why askest thou my 

155 origin? I come from fertile Paeonia, a far distant land, 
leading hither Paeonian warriors, armed with long spears ; 
and this is now the eleventh morning since I came to 
Troy. But my descent is from the wide-flowing Axius — 
Axius who pours the loveliest water along the earth, who 

160 begot Pelegon, renowned for the spear ; and it is he who, 
they say, begat me. Now then, illustrious Achilles, let us 
fight." 

Thus he spake, threatening : and noble Achilles raised 
the Pelian ash, and the hero Asteropaeus, both spears at 

165 the same time, for he was ambidexter. With the one spear 
then he struck the shield, nor did it pierce the shield quite 
through ; for the gold stayed it, the gift of a god : and 
with the other slightly wounded him upon the arm of the 
right hand 8 ; and the black blood sprung out: but the 
spear, passing over him, stuck in the earth, though eager 
to satiate itself in his body. In his turn, next, Achilles 

170 hurled his straight-flying ashen spear at Asteropaeus, 
ardently desiring to slay him. Him, however, he missed, 
and struck the lofty bank, and drove the ashen spear half 

7 Whence of men. 8 i. e. above, or at the wrist, 



ILIAD XXL— V. 172—208. 455 

way into the bank. Then Pelides, drawing his sharp 
■word from his thigh, sprang eagerly upon him ; and the 
other Mas unable to tear out, with strong hand, Achilles' 
beam from the bank. Thrice did he shake it, desirous to 175 
draw it forth, and thrice did he fail in strength ; but the 
fourth time, he determined within his mind, bending, to 
break the ashen spear of iEacides ; but Achilles first, close 
at hand, deprived him of life with his sword : for he smote 180 
him upon the belly near the navel, and all his bowels 
poured out upon the ground, and darkness covered his 
eyes as he expired. Then Achilles, leaping upon his 
breast, stripped off his armour, and, boasting, uttered this 
speech : 

" So he : it is a difficult thing for thee, thou descended 
from a river, to combat with the sons of all-pow r erful Jove. 185 
Thou sayest that thou wert of the race of a wide-flowing 
river, but I boast myself to be of the family of mighty 
Jupiter. And a man, ruling many Myrmidons, begot me, 
Peleus, son of iEacus ; and iEacus was of Jove : the 9 more 
powerful Jove is than seaward-flowing rivers, the more 190 
powerful is his offspring than that of a river. For here 
too is a great river beside thee, if it can avail thee aught ; 
but it is not possible to fight against Jove, son of Saturn. 
With him neither does king Achelous vie, nor the vast 
might of deep-flowing Oceanus, from whom flow all rivers, 195 
and every sea, and all fountains, and deep wells : but even 
he dreads the bolt of mighty Jove, and the dreadful thun- 
der, when it bellows from heaven." 

He said, and plucked his brazen spear from the bank : 200 
and left Asteropaeus on the spot, w r hen he had taken away 
his life, lying among the sand, and the dark water laved 
him. Round him then were busy the eels and fishes, 
devouring and nibbling the fat upon his kidneys. But he 205 
(Achilles) hastened in pursuit of the Paeonian cavalry x , 
who were still in flight along the eddying river, when they 
beheld their chief gallantly subdued in fierce battle by 

9 rtp — by how much, &c. * Fighting from horses. 



456 ILIAD XXI.— V. 209—240. 

the hands and sword of Pelides. Then slew he Thersi- 

210 lochus, and Mydon, and Astypylus, and Mnesus, and 
Thrasius, and yEnius, and Ophelestes. And the swift 
Achilles would still have slain more Paeonians, had not 
the deep-whirling river, filled with anger, addressed him, 
in the shape of a man, and sent a voice from its profound 
stream : 

" O Achilles, thou art strong beyond other men, and 

215 beyond them dost dreadful deeds : for the gods themselves 
always aid thee. If the son of Saturn has given thee to 
destroy all the Trojans — driving them out of me, do thy 
fearful deeds along the plain. For now my lovely streams 
are filled with corpses, nor can I longer, obstructed by the 
dead, pour my water down to the vast sea ; for thou killest 

220 all unsparingly. Come then, now cease — a stupor pos- 
sesses me, O chief of the people." 

And him swift-footed Achilles, answering, addressed : 
" These things shall be, O Scamander, nourished by Jove, 
as thou biddest. But I will not desist from slaughtering 

225 the truce-breaking Trojans, till I shut them up in the city, 
and make trial of Hector, hand to hand, whether he shall 
slay me, or I him/ 5 

So saying, he sprang after the Trojans like a god ; and 
the deep-whirling river then addressed Apollo : 

" Alas ! god of the silver bow, son of Jove, thou hast not 

230 observed the counsels of Jove, who enjoined thee very much 
to stand by and aid the Trojans, till the late-setting evening 
came, and overshadowed the fertile earth/ 5 

He said ; and spear-skilled Achilles leaped into the mid- 
dle, springing down from the bank. And Xanthus rushed 

235 at him, raging with swollen stream 2 , and, in tumults, stir- 
red up all his floods ; and impelled along many corpses — 
those which were in him in abundance, whom Achilles had 
slain. These he cast forth, roaring like a bull, upon the 
shore ; and the living he preserved in his beautiful streams, 

240 concealing them among his large deep waves. And ter- 

2 With a swelling. 



ILIAD XXI.— V. 241—273. 457 

rible round Achilles rose the tumultuous wave, and the 
stream, tailing upon his shield, pushed him along, nor 
could he stand firm on his feet. But he seized with his 
hands a flourishing large elm ; and it, falling from its roots, 
brought down the whole bank, and choaked the beautiful 
streams with its thick branches, and made a bridge over 245 
the river itself, falling entirely in 3 . Then leaping up from 
the flood, Achilles hastened to fly towards the plain with 
rapid feet, struck with terror. Nor yet, however, did the 
mighty god desist, but rose to rush after him, blackening 
over the surface, that he might cause the noble Achilles to 
cease from warlike toil, and avert destruction from the 
Trojans. But Pelides leaped from him as far as a speaks 250 
cast, with the force of a dark eagle, when darting on its 
prey 4 , which is at once the strongest and fleetest of birds. 
Like to it he rushed, and the brass rung awfully upon his 
breast ; and, bending obliquely, he fled, and Xanthus, 255 
flowing behind, followed with a mighty noise. And as 
when a ditcher 5 leads a stream of water from a dark 
fountain through plantations and gardens, holding a spade 
in his hands, and casting out the obstructions from the 
channel ; all the pebbles beneath are shaken as it flows 260 
along, and, rapidly descending, it murmurs in a gentle 
declivity, and overtakes even him who guides it : — so 
the water of the river always overtook Achilles, though 
swift ; for gods are more powerful than men. And as 265 
often as the swift-footed noble Achilles attempted to stand 
against it, and to know whether all the immortals, who 
possess the wide heaven, put him to flight, so often did a 
vast billow of the river flowing from Jove, wash his shoul- 
ders above : and he leaped high with his feet, sorrowful 270 
in his mind, but the rapid stream subdued his knees 
under him, and flowing on, pulled away the sand from 
beneath his feet. And Pelides groaned, looking towards 
the wide heaven : 

3 And bridged himself, all falling in. 4 The hunter. 

• s A man digging a water course. 



458 ILIAD XXL— V. 274—302. 

" Father Jove, as none of the gods in pity attempts to 

275 save me from the river, then must I die 6 . But none 
other of the heavenly powers is so blame-worthy in my 
eyes as my mother, who has cheated me with falsehoods 
— who said that I should perish by the fleet arrows of 
Apollo under the wall of the armed Trojans. Oh that 
Hector had slain me, who was bred here the bravest ; then 

280 would a brave man have slain me, and he have slain a brave 
man. But now is it my fate to be carried off by an inglo- 
rious death, overwhelmed in a mighty river, like a swine- 
herd boy, whom the torrent overwhelms, when crossing in 
the winter." 

Thus he spake ; and Neptune and Minerva, very quickly 

285 approaching, stood near him, (but they had assimilated 
their bodies to men,) and taking his hand with their hand, 
confirmed him with words. And Neptune, the shaker of 
the earth, began to them these words : 

" Son of Peleus, neither now greatly fear, nor be at all 
dismayed ; for so great assistants from among the gods 

290 are we to thee, with the approbation of Jove 7 , I and 
Pallas Minerva — since it is not decreed that thou shouldst 
be subdued by a river. For it shall soon subside, and 
thou thyself shalt see it. Nevertheless let us prudently 
suggest to thee — if thou wilt be persuaded — not to stop 

295 thy hands from destructive war, till thou hast shut up 
the Trojan army within the renowned walls of Troy, who- 
ever escapes 8 ; and having taken away the life of Hector, 
return thou again to the ships ; for we grant thee to carry 
off glory." 

Having thus spoken, they departed to the immortals. 
And he proceeded — for the command of the gods strongly 

300 impelled him — towards the plain, and it was all filled 
with the overflowed water. And many rich coats of 
armour and bodies of youths, slain in battle, floated 
along ; but his knees sprang aloft against the course of 



Suffer something. 7 Jove approving. 

i. e. all that escape the sword. 



ILIAD XXL— V. 303—335. 459 

the direct-flowing stream — nor did the wide-flowing stream 
check him, for Minerva had cast into him great strength. 305 

And Scamander did not remit his violence, but raged 
still more around Pelides, and rising into the air, swelled 
the water of his flood ; and, shouting, animated Simoeis : 

" Let us both, at least, my beloved brother, restrain the 
force of the mortal ; otherwise he will soon overturn the 
vast city of Priam, and the Trojans will not await him in 310 
battle. Bring me then aid with haste, and fill thy floods 
from thy fountains of water, and rouse up all thy rills : and 
lift up a huge wave, and excite a mighty tumult of trunks 
of trees and stones, that we may repress this furious man, 
who is now master, and meditates deeds equal to the 315 
gods. For I say that neither will his strength avail him, 
nor his beauty in aught, nor yet his rich armour, which 
shall lie somewhere in the very bottom of my channel 9 , 
covered over with mud. And himself will I involve in 
sand, pouring vast quantities of mud round him, nor shall 320 
the Achasans be able l to collect his bones ; with so much 
slime shall I cover him over. There likewise w r ill be his 
tomb ; nor will there be any want to him of a funeral-pile 2 , 
when the Achaeans perform his obsequies." 

He said, and, rushing high, in tumult he pressed upon 
Achilles, roaring, with foam, with blood, and with corpses. 325 
And then the purple water of the river flowing from Jove, 
stood erected, and bore down the son of Peleus. And 
Juno cried aloud, fearing for Achilles, lest the mighty deep- 
flooding river should sweep him away ; and immediately 330 
addressed Vulcan, her own beloved son : 

e( Arise, Vulcan 3 , my son ; for against thee do we deem 
the flooding Xanthus to be equally matched in battle : 
but assist with all haste, and show forth thy abundant 
flame. Meanwhile I will go and excite a furious storm of 
the west wind and rapid south from the sea, which, bring- 335 

9 "Sifivrjg. l Know. 

2 i. e. the accumulated sand will be quite enough. 

3 Kv\\o7rodiov— with lame or defective feet. 



460 ILIAD XXL— V. 336—365. 

ing a destructive conflagration, may consume the heads and 
armour of the Trojans. And do thou burn the trees upon 
the banks of Xanthus, and set himself on fire ; nor let him 
at all turn thee away with kind words or with threaten- 

340 ing : neither do thou first restrain thy violence ; but when 
I, shouting, shall give the signal, then check thy unwearied 
fire." 

Thus she spake; and Vulcan darted forth his fierce- 
burning fire. And first of all he lighted a fire in the 
plain, and burnt up the many bodies, which were in it 4 

345 in abundance, whom Achilles had slain ; and the whole 
plain was dried up, and the bright water restrained. And 
as when an autumnal north wind immediately dries up a 
newly-watered garden, and gladdens the person, whoso- 
ever cultivates it; so was the whole plain dried up, and 
he consumed the dead; and he turned his bright flame 

350 against the river. And the elms were burnt up, and the 
willows, and the tamarisks ; and the lotus was consumed, 
and the rushes and the reeds, which grew in abundance 
round the beautiful streams of the river. And the eels, 
and the fishes, those in the waves, which in the fair streams 

355 dived here and there, were harassed, exhausted by the 
breath of the various artificer Vulcan. And the force of 
the river was burnt up, and he addressed this speech to 
him, and said : 

" None of the gods, O Vulcan, can oppose thee on equal 
terms, neither can I contend with thee, thus burning with 
thy fire. Cease from the strife, and let the noble Achilles 

350 a t once expel the Trojans from their city too 5 — what have 
I to do with contest or with assistance ? w 

He spake, scorched with fire ; and his fair streams boiled 
up. And as a cauldron, pressed by much fire, bubbles up 
within tumultuously on all sides, while melting the fat of 

365 a well-fed sow, and split sticks lie beneath it ; so were his 

4 i. e. the plain, which requires avro (irediov) ; hut the verse is the same 
as line 236 of this book, where TroTa/xog is meant. 

5 i. e, as well as from me. 



ILIAD XXI.— V. 3CG— 390. 4G1 

fair streams heated with the fire, and the water boiled ; 
nor could he flow on, but was stopt, and the vapour, 
created by the power of crafty Vulcan, suffocated him. 
At length, supplicating much, he addressed Juno in these 
winged words : 

u Why, O Juno, does thy son press upon my stream, to 
annoy me above others ? I am not surely so much to 370 
blame as are all the others, as many as are aiders of the 
Trojans. But, however, I will desist, if thou commandest 
it : and let him also cease ; and I will likewise swear this, 
never to avert the evil day from the Trojans — not when 375 
all burning Troy shall be consumed with destructive fire, 
and the warlike sons of the Achaeans light the flame/ 5 

And when Juno, the white-armed goddess, heard this, 
she immediately addressed her beloved son Vulcan : 

" Vulcan, my illustrious son, desist ; for it is not proper 
thus to persecute an immortal god for the sake of mortals." 380 

Thus she spake; and Vulcan extinguished his raging 
fire ; and then the refluent water poured downward its 
beautiful streams. And when the force of Xanthus was 
subdued, then, indeed they 6 were quiet; for Juno re- 
strained them, though engaged with the Trojans. 

But among the other gods dire contention fell toilsome ; 385 
and their minds in their bosoms were borne away in op- 
posite directions. And with a vast tumult they engaged, 
and the wide earth re-bellowed ; and the mighty heaven 
resounded 7 around. And Jove heard it, sitting upon 
Olympus, and laughed within his heart for joy, when he 390 
beheld the gods meeting in contest. Then no longer stood 
they asunder ; for shield-piercing Mars began, and rushed 
first upon Minerva, holding his brazen spear ; and uttered 
this opprobrious speech : 

"Why thus, O impudent, with boundless confidence, 
committest thou the gods to battle ? Has thy mighty 395 
spirit prompted thee ? Or, rememberest thou not, when 



6 Xanthus and Vulcan. 7 Brayed as a trumpet. 



462 ILIAD XXL— V. 397—424. 

thou didst impel Diomedes, the son of Tydeus, to strike 
me, and, thyself seizing the spear, in the sight of all, didst 
drive it right against me, and lacerate my fair flesh ? Now, 
therefore, I think, in turn, that thou shalt pay for all that 
thou hast wrought against me." 

400 So saying, he struck against the iEgis, fringed, terrible, 
which not the bolt of Jove subdues — on that blood-pol- 
luted Mars smote her with his long spear. But she, 
retiring back, seized in her strong hand a stone lying in 

405 the plain, black, and rugged, and huge — one which men of 
former days had placed to be the boundary of a field. With 
this she struck fierce Mars upon the neck, and loosened 
his knees. And seven acres he covered, falling, and defiled 
his hair in the dust ; and his armour rang round him. And 
Pallas Minerva laughed, and boasting over him, addressed 
to him these winged words : 

410 " Fool, hast thou not yet perceived how much I boast 
myself to be superior to thee, that thou opposest thy 
strength to me ? Thus shalt thou expiate the Furies 8 of 
thy mother, who plans mischief against thee, enraged be- 
cause thou hast deserted the Achaeans, and dost assist the 
truce-breaking Trojans." 

415 Thus then having spoken, she turned away her shining 
eyes. And Venus, the daughter of Jove, taking him by 
the hand, led him away, groaning very heavily ; and with 
difficulty he collected his spirit. And her, as soon as 
Juno, the white-armed goddess, perceived, she immediately 
addressed to Minerva these winged words : 

420 " Ah ! child of the aegis-bearing Jove, invincible — again 
that impudent wretch leads Mars, the destroyer of men, 
through the throng, from the glowing battle. But follow 
her." 

Thus she spake ; and Minerva rushed after, and rejoiced 
in her mind ; and, springing upon her, struck her with a 

8 i. e. her vengeance. The Furies avenge crime — are the executors of 
vengeance ; but here they seem to express the penalty — thou shalt suffer 
the Kaica of the next line. 



ILIAD XXI.— V. 425— 45G. 468 

strong hand in the breast, and relaxed her knees and dear 425 
heart. Then both of them lay upon the fertile earth ; and 
she, boasting-, addressed to them these winged words : 

u Would now that all were such, as many as are allies 
to the Trojans, when they fight against the armed Argives, 
and thus bold and daring, as Venus comes a support to 430 
Mars, to encounter my might; in that case indeed should 
we have long ago ceased from battle, after destroying the 
well-built city of Ilium." 

Thus she spake ; and the white-armed goddess Juno 
smiled. 435 

Meanwhile king Neptune 9 addressed Apollo : 
" Phoebus, why stand we two apart ? It is unbecoming 
now the others have begun \ This were disgraceful, if we 
return without fighting to Olympus, to the brass-floored 
mansion of Jove. Commence, for thou art younger by 
birth ; for it would not be becoming in me, since I am the 440 
elder, and know more things. Thou fool, how senseless 
a heart thou possessest ; rememberest thou nothing of the 
ills 2 we alone of the gods suffered round Ilium, what time, 
coming from Jove to haughty Laomedon, we toiled during 
the space of a year for a stipulated hire, and he command- 445 
ing, gave directions ? I indeed erected a city and wall for 
the Trojans, extensive and very handsome, that the city 
might be impregnable ; and thou, O Phoebus, didst feed 
his slow-paced, crumple-horned oxen, among the glens of 
the many-valed, woody Ida. And when at last the lovely 
Hours had brought round the period of payment, then did 450 
violent Laomedon tyrannically withhold from us all our 
hire 3 , and, threatening, send us away. And * besides, he 
threatened that he would bind our feet and hands above, 
and sell us for slaves in distant islands ; and affirmed that 455 
he would cut off the ears of both with brass : and we 



9 Earth-shaker. 1 Neither is it becoming, the others commencing. 

2 Of those (kokwv) evils, as many as, &c. 

3 He treated us tyrannically as to our pay. 

4 <tvv, &c. Together — at the same time. 

12 



464 ILIAD XXL— V. 457—487. 

forthwith returned back with indignant mind, enraged on 
account of the hire which, having promised, he did not 
pay. For this then dost thou now favour his people ? 

460 Nor strivest along with us, in order that the truce-breaking 
Trojans may basely perish from the root, along with their 
children and chaste wives ?" 

And him in reply Apollo, the far-darting king, ad- 
dressed : " Shaker of the earth, thou wouldst judge me to 
be by no means prudent, if I should now fight with thee, 
for the sake of miserable mortals, who, like to the leaves, 

465 are at one time very blooming, eating the fruit of the soil, 
and at another again perish, deprived of life. Rather let 
us cease from combat, as soon as possible ; and let them 
decide the matter themselves/' 

Thus having spoken, he turned back ; for in truth he 

470 feared to join battle with the brother of his father. And 
his sister, the rural Diana, mistress of wild beasts, severely 
reproved him, and uttered this upbraiding speech : 

ee Fliest thou, Far-darter ? And resignest thou the whole 
victory to Neptune ? And givest thou glory to him with- 
out a struggle ? Fool, why now dost thou thus hold an 

475 useless bow ? No longer now let me hear thee boasting in 
the halls of our father, as heretofore thou wert wont among 
the immortal gods, that thou wouldst combat in opposi- 
tion against Neptune." 

Thus she spake ; but the far-darting Apollo addressed 
her not at all. And the chaste spouse of Jove, inflamed 

480 with anger, chid the fair archeress 5 in reproving words : 

u How dost thou now dare, fearless, to stand against 
me ? I am a difficult one to be opposed in my might by 
thee, who art nothing but an archer ; for Jove has made 
thee a lion among women 6 , and given thee to kill whom- 

485 soever of them 7 thou wilt. It is for thee, however, prefer- 
able to slay savage beasts among the mountains, or wild- 
stags, rather than to contend in force with superiors. But 

5 Delighting in arrows. 
7 i. e. obstetrically. 



ILIAD XXI.— V. 487—5)3. 465 

if thou desirest to have a lesson in battle, come on ; that 
thou mayest well know how much superior I am to thee, 
since thou dost oppose my strength." 

She said, and with her left hand seized both her 
f Diana' 'sj hands at the wrist, and with her right plucked 490 
the bow 8 from her shoulders ; and with it, smiling, she 
beat her, whilst writhing, about the ears ; and the rapid 
arrows fell out 9 . And then the goddess fled, weeping, 
like a dove, which flies from a hawk to a hollow rock, 495 
her hiding place, nor was it decreed that she should be 
taken by it — so fled Diana, weeping, and left there her 
bow. 

And Mercury *, the messenger, thus addressed Latona : 
" Latona, I will by no means fight with thee ; for it is a 
hazardous thing to combat with the wives of cloud-com- 
pelling Jove ; but thou art very welcome among the im- 500 
mortal gods, to boast that thou hast conquered me by fierce 
violence." 

Thus indeed he spake ; and Latona collected together 
the bent bow and the arrows which had fallen 2 here and 
there amid the whirl of dust. And she, having taken the 
bow and arrows of her daughter, went back ; and Diana 505 
went to Olympus, to the brass-floored mansion of Jove, and 
weeping, sat down at the knees of her father ; and around 
them her ambrosial robe trembled ; and her the Saturnian 
father took towards him 3 , and sweetly smiling, interrogated 
her : 

" Which of the heavenly powers, my beloved child, has 
now rashly done thee such things, as if thou hadst openly 510 
perpetrated some evil 4 ? " 

And to him in return the fair-crowned huntress 5 said : 
" Thy spouse has ill-treated me, O father, the white-armed 
Juno, from whom contention and strife hang over the im- 
mortals." 

8 The arrows. 9 i. e. of the quiver — as she writhed about. 

1 The Argicide — the inter-messenger. 2 Having fallen. 

3 Saluted her. * Having openly perpetrated. — SJ. 374. 

5 Loving the tumult of huntsmen. 

h h 



466 ILIAD XXL— V. 514—545. 

Thus they such things spoke to one another. Mean- 

515 while Phoebus Apollo entered into sacred Ilium : for the 
wall of the well-built city was a care to him, lest the Da- 
naans, in spite of fate, should that day destroy it. And . 
the other everliving gods repaired to Olympus, some, 
indeed, indignant, and others greatly boasting : and they 

520 sat down beside the dark-clouded Jove. And Achilles slew 
at once the Trojans themselves, and their solid-hoofed 
horses. And as when a smoke, ascending from a burning 
city, reaches to the wide heaven — for the anger of the gods 
has set it on fire — and it gives toil to all, and brings trouble 

525 upon many : so Achilles caused toil and troubles to the 
Trojans. 

And the aged Priam stood upon a sacred tower, and 
marked huge Achilles; and the routed Trojans fled in 
confusion before him, nor was there any might in them 6 . 
And, groaning, he descended from the tower to the ground, 

530 to excite 7 the noble guards at the gates along the ram- 
parts. 

" Hold the gates open in your hands until the flying 
people come into the city — for Achilles is near, putting 
them to the rout. Now do I fear 8 there will be deadly 
deeds. And as soon as they respire, inclosed within the 

535 wall, put to again the close-fitted gates 9 , for I tremble lest 
this destructive man rush within the wall." 

Thus he spake ; and they opened the gates and drew 
back the bolts; and when opened, they afforded safety. 
And Apollo sprang out to meet them, that he might ward 

540 off destruction from the Trojans. Then they, parched 
with thirst, and covered with dust, fled from the plain right 
towards the city and the lofty wall ; and he (Achilles) furi- 
ously pursued with his spear ; for fierce madness con- 
stantly possessed his heart, and he burnt to obtain glory. 
Then would the sons of the Achaeans have taken the lofty- 

545 gated Troy, had not Phoebus Apollo animated Agenor, a 

6 i. e. they could no longer resist. 7 Exciting. 

8 Think. ° navidsg — the doors, or rather leaves, of the gates. 



ILIAD XXI.— V. 546—580. 467 

hero, son of Antenor, both illustrious and brave. Into his 
heart he cast confidence, and himself stood near him, 
leaning against the beech-tree, that he might avert the 
heavy hands of death ; and he was covered wth a large 
cloud. And Agenor as soon as he perceived Achilles, the 550 
destroyer of cities, stopt, and his heart debated much as he 
stood; and, groaning, he thus communed with his own 
brave spirit : 

a Ah me ! if I fly from the terrible Achilles, where the 
others, routed, are flying, even thus will he seize me, and 555 
cut off my cowardly head * ; and if I leave these to be 
routed by Achilles, the son of Peleus, and on my feet fly 
in another direction from the wall towards the Ilian plain, 
until I come to the glens of Ida, and enter its thickets ; 
and then, after washing myself at evening in the river, I 560 
return back to Troy, purified from sweat — but why does 
my spirit discuss these things within me ? / fear lest he 
may observe me departing from the city towards the plain, 
and, hastily pursuing, overtake me with his rapid feet ; 
then no longer will it be possible to escape death and the 565 
fates : for he is very powerful beyond all men. And if I 
go against him in front of the city — for his body too, 
without doubt, is vulnerable by sharp brass, and one soul 
only is in it, and men say that he is mortal; but Jove, the 570 
son of Saturn, affords him glory." 

So saying, prepared, he awaited Achilles ; and his gal- 
lant heart within him burned to combat and to fight. As 
a pard advances from a deep thicket against a huntsman, 
nor is aught troubled in its heart, nor fears, when it hears 575 
the hunting cry — for if even he has first 2 either wounded 
it from afar, or smitten it close at hand, nevertheless, al- 
though transfixed with a spear, it ceases not from combat, 
till either it engage at close quarters, or be subdued. Thus 
the noble Agenor, son of the renowned Antenor, would 
not fly till he had made trial of Achilles ; but, on the 580 



2 tpSajitvog — being beforehand. 
H h 2 



468 ILIAD XXI.— V. 581— G12. 

contrary, held before him his shield, every where equal, 
and took aim at him (Achilles) with his spear, and cried 
aloud : 

e( Thou art, no doubt, in great hopes within thy mind, 
O illustrious Achilles, that thou shalt this day lay waste 

585 the city of the glorious Trojans. Fool, still many woes 
will yet be effected over it, for we are numerous and brave 
warriors in it, who will defend Ilium for the sake of our 
beloved parents, our wives, and our children. Thou, how- 
ever, shalt here fulfil thy destiny, thus terrible and confi- 
dent as thou art." 

590 He said, and hurled the sharp javelin from his heavy 
hand, and struck his leg below the knee, nor missed : and 
the greave of newly- wrought tin around it sounded horribly; 
but the brazen weapon leaped back from it thus struck, 
nor penetrated ; for the gifts of the god repelled it. Then 

595 Pelides next attacked the godlike Agenor ; yet Apollo per- 
mitted him not to obtain glory ; but snatched him away, 
and covered him with a large cloud ; and dismissed him to 
return in peace from the battle. 

And by a stratagem he turned away the son of Peleus 
from the people ; for the far-darter, having likened himself 

600 in every respect to Agenor, stood before his feet ; and 
Achilles made haste to pursue with his feet. Whilst 
he was pursuing him, running before a little space, over 
the fruitful 3 plain, turning towards the deep-pool river 
Scamander — for Apollo drew him on with guile, so that 

605 he always expected to overtake him with his feet — the 
other Trojans, in the mean time, put to rout, came de- 
lighted in a crowd towards the city ; and the city was filled 
with them shut in. Nor did they any longer dare to wait 
for each other without the city and the wall, and to inquire 

610 who had escaped, and who had fallen in the battle ; but 
they eagerly poured into the city, whomsoever of them his 
feet and his knees had preserved. 

3 Bearing barley. 






THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER 



BOOK XXII. 



ARGUMENT. 



Hector alone remains without, in spite of the intreaties of his father and 
mother. He flies thrice round Troy, then fights, and is slain by Achilles, 
who drags his body to the fleet. The lamentation of Andromache. 

Thus driven by fright into the city, like fawns, they were 
refreshing themselves from sweat, and were drinking and 
slaking their thirst, leaning against the handsome battle- 
ments ; and the Achaeans drew near towards the wall, in- 
clining their shields upon their shoulders \ But Hector 5 
his deadly fate compelled to remain there, in front of Ilium 
and the Scaean gates. And Phcebus Apollo thus addressed 
Achilles : 

" Why, O son of Peleus, being thyself mortal, dost thou 
with rapid feet pursue me, an immortal god? Not yet 10 
dost thou discover that I am a god, and that thou ragest 
extravagantly ? Why truly thou regardest not the toil of 
the Trojans, whom thou hast put to flight, and who are 

1 In close column — with their shields so disposed as to form a line of 

defence. 



470 ILIAD XXII.— -V. 13—41. 

already shut up within their city, but thou hast turned 
aside 2 here. Thou canst not slay me, for I am not 
mortal." 

And him, greatly indignant, swift-footed Achilles ad- 

15 dressed : " Thou hast befooled me, O far-darter, most de- 
structive of all gods, by now turning me away hither from 
the wall; otherwise many had surely grasped the earth 
with their teeth, before they had gone into Troy. And 
now thou hast deprived me of great glory, and hast pre- 
served them easily 3 , for thou didst not at all dread venge- 

20 ance in after times. Assuredly I would chastise thee, if 
the power at least were mine." 

So saying, he departed haughtily towards the city, rushing 
like a horse 4 , victorious in the contest, with his car — which, 
when striving, flies swiftly over the plain. So Achilles 
moved hastily his feet and his knees. 

25 And aged Priam first beheld him with his eyes, rushing 
along the plain, glittering like a star, which rises in the 
autumn ; and its resplendent rays shine among the other 
stars in the depth of the night — -that which men call by the 

30 appellation of Orion's dog. Very bright is it ; but it is 
an evil omen, and brings a burning heat upon miserable 
mortals. So shone the brass round the breast of him as 
he ran along. Then the old man groaned, and beat his 
head with his hands, lifting them on high, and, groaning, 

35 cried aloud, supplicating his beloved son. And Hector 
was standing before the Scaean gates, insatiably eager to 
combat with Achilles ; and him the old man piteously ad- 
dressed, extending his hands : 

" Hector, my beloved son, O do not, for my sake, alone 
and without others, await this man ; lest thou speedily fulfil 

40 thy fate, subdued by the son of Peleus ; for he is much 
more powerful than thou. Ruthless man ! would that he 

2 i. e. instead of endeavouring to prevent the Trojans from getting behind 
their walls. 

3 i. e. without regard to consequences — for you knew you were safe from 
my vengeance. 

4 Or, rather, a horse running for a prize. 



ILIAD XXII.— V. 42—74. 471 

were so dear to the gods as he is to me 5 ; soon should dogs 
and vultures devour him, lying prostrate, and dire grief 
would depart from my bosom, — he, who has made me des- 
titute of many and gallant sons, slaying, and selling them 
into far distant islands. For even now also, though the 45 
Trojans are shut up within the city, I cannot see my two 
sons, Lycaon and Polydorus, whom Laothoe bore to me, a 
queen among women. If however they are alive at the 
camp, assuredly we will hereafter redeem them with brass 
and with gold ; for there is plenty within ; for the aged 50 
Altes, renowned in story, gave abundance to his daughter. 
But if they be already dead, and in the abode of Pluto, it 
will be a grief to my soul, and to their mother, who gave 
them birth. Yet to the other people will the grief be 
more tolerable, if thou also do not die, subdued by Achilles. 55 
Come then within the wall, O my son, that thou mayest 
save the Trojan men and women, nor furnish great glory 
to the son of Peleus, and be thyself deprived of thy be- 
loved life. Moreover, have pity upon wretched me, while 60 
I am still alive 6 , me, miserable man, whom the Saturnian 
father will destroy with evil fortune upon the threshold of 
old age 7 , seeing many calamities — my sons slain, my 
daughters captives, their bridal chambers plundered, and 
infant children dashed against the earth in dire slaughter, 65 
and my daughters-in-law dragged away by the destructive 
hands of the Achaeans. And myself also, at last, at the 
entrance of the gates — when some one with the sharp brass, 
striking me with a pike or a sword, takes the life from my 
limbs — will ravenous dogs tear, which, drinking up my 
blood, will lie in the vestibule, grown furious in their mind. 70 
To a young man indeed, slain in battle, and lacerated with 
sharp brass, it is honourable, in all respects to lie, all of him, 
though dead ; whatever is visible is fair ; but when dogs 
insult the grey head, and the hoary beard, and the privy 

5 i. e. would that he were not more dear to the gods than he is to me — 
not dear at all. c Still thinking. 

7 At the extremity of age — entrance of extreme age. 



472 ILIAD XXII.— V. 75—107. 

75 parts of a slaughtered old man, that indeed is most pitiable 
among wretched mortals/ 5 

The old man said ; and tore up the hoary locks with his 
hands, plucking them from his head-; yet persuaded not 
the soul of Hector. And his mother, again, weeping, 
80 lamented, baring her bosom, whilst with the other hand 
she held her breast; and, shedding tears, addressed to 
him these winged words : 

"O Hector, my son, have respect to these, and have 
pity on me myself. If ever I afforded thee the grief- 
lulling breast 8 , remember these things, my beloved child ; 
85 and repulse this hostile man, coming within the wall, nor 
stand forth the foremost against him. Unfeeling man ! for 
if he slay thee, neither shall I mourn on thy bier for thee, 
my beloved offspring, whom I myself bore, nor shall thy 
rich-dowered wife ; but far apart from us both, swift dogs 
will devour thee at the ships of the Argives." 
90 Thus did they, weeping, address their dear son, intreat- 
ing him greatly ; yet persuaded they not the soul of Hec- 
tor ; but he awaited huge Achilles, coming near. And 
as a fierce serpent at its den, feeding upon evil poisons, 
waits for a man, and dire rage enters into him (the ser- 
95 pent), and he glares horribly, coiling around his den ; so 
Hector, possessed of inextinguishable valour, retired not, 
leaning his glittering shield against a projecting tower; 
and, full of indignation, thus communed with his own 
brave spirit : 

" Ah me ! if indeed I enter the gates and the wall, 
100 Polydamas will be the first to heap reproaches upon me — 
he who advised me to lead the Trojans towards the city 
during this disastrous night, when noble Achilles rose to 
battle. But I was not persuaded ; doubtless it would have 
been much better if I had. And now, since by my rash- 
105 ness I have destroyed the people, I am afraid of the Trojan 
men and long-robed 9 Trojan women, lest some one inferior 
to me should say, c Hector, trusting in his own valour has 

8 The breast causing forgetfulness of cares. ,J Dragging their robes. 



ILIAD XXII.— V. 108—138. 473 

destroyed the people.' Thus they will say; and then it 
would be much better for me, either to return, after slay- 
ing Achilles in the encounter, or gloriously myself to 110 
perish in defence of the city. But if I were to lay down 
my bossed shield and strong helmet, and resting my spear 
against the wall, and, proceeding myself, go to meet the 
renowned Achilles, and promise him that we will allow l 
the two Atrides to take away Helen, who was the cause of 
the struggle, and all her numerous treasures along with 115 
her, as many as Alexander brought to Troy in his hollow 
ships, and besides, that we will distribute others, as many 
as this city possesses, among the Achasans — and if, more- 
over, I should exact an oath from the elders of the Tro- 
jans 2 , that they would conceal nothing, but divide all 120 
things into two portions, as much treasure as this delight- 
ful city contains within it. — Yet why does my soul discuss 
such things within me ? Never let me go, and come to 
him as a suppliant 3 ; for he will not pity me, neither have 
any respect to me, but slay me thus like a woman, being 125 
naked, after I put off my armour. It is not at all a time 
to be talking with any one from an oak, nor from a rock 4 , 
— as young man and maiden — a young man and maiden 
talk with each other. On the contrary, it is better to 
engage in battle, that we may know as soon as possible to 130 
which of us the Olympic god will give glory/' 

Thus he meditated, remaining ; and Achilles came near 
him, like to Mars, the helmet-shaking warrior, brandishing 
upon his right shoulder the terrible Pelian ash ; and round 
him shone the brazen armour^ like the splendour either 
of a blazing fire, or the rising sun. And a tremor seized 135 
Hector, as soon as he perceived him, nor any longer had 
he the courage to remain there, but left the gates behind 
him, and departed, panic-struck : and Pelides rushed after 



1 Give. 

2 i. e. as an oath more likely to be observed. Compare I\ 105, 6. 

3 Or, / am afraid, if I should go, he will, &e. 

4 At full leisure — or upon agreeable matters. 



474 ILIAD XXII.— V. 139—172. 

him, trusting to his rapid feet 5 . As a falcon, the swiftest 

140 of birds, on the mountains easily dashes after a timid 
pigeon ; while she flies low 6 for fear, and he, close at hand 
shrilly screaming, frequently assails her, and his desire im- 
pels him to seize her : — so, eager Achilles rushed straight 
on ; and Hector fled in terror under the wall of the Tro- 

145 jans, and moved his agile limbs. Then rushed they past 
the rising ground and lofty 7 fig-tree, always under the wall 
along the public road; and reached the two fair-flowing 
fountains, where rise two springs of the eddying Scamander. 

150 For the one flows with tepid water, and from it a steam 
rises around, as from a burning fire ; but the other flows 
forth, during the summer, like to hail, or cold snow, or ice 
from water. And there, near to them, are the wide, beau- 
tiful stone basins, where the wives and fair daughters of 

155 the Trojans, formerly, in peace-time, used, before the sons 
of the Achaeans arrived, to wash their beautiful robes. In 
this direction they ran past, the one fleeing, and the other 
pursuing behind. A brave man indeed ran before, but a 
much more valiant rapidly pursued him ; for they strove 

160 not for a victim or a bull's hide, such as are the prizes for 
the speed 8 of men, but they ran for the life of Hector, 
tamer of horses. And as when solid-hoofed race-horses 9 
run very swiftly round the course 1 ; and a great prize 
is staked — either a tripod, or a woman — in honour of a 

165 hero dead ; so these two thrice encompassed the city of 
Priam with rapid feet. And ail the gods looked on. 
Then the father of men and gods began among them with 
these words : 

" Alas ! I behold with my eyes a dear hero pursued 
round the wall ; and my heart is grieved for Hector, who 

1 70 has burnt for me numerous legs of oxen upon the tops of 
the many-valed Ida, and at other times again in the highest 
part of the city ; and now noble Achilles chases him, with 

5 i. e. with full confidence of overtaking him. 

6 i. e. out of the line of his flight. ? Windy. 

s The feet. 9 The bearers away of prizes. * The marks. 



ILIAD XXII.— V. 1/3—204. 475 

swift feet, round the city of Priam. Come then, consider, 
gods, and consult together, whether we shall save him from 175 
death, or now subdue him, brave as he is, by the hands of 
Achilles, son of Peleus." 

And him, in return, Minerva, the blue-eyed goddess, 
addressed : " O my father, hurler of the thunder-bolt, com- 
pelfer of the dark clouds, what hast thou spoken ? A man, 
being mortal, long ago devoted to his fate, wouldst thou 180 
again free from evil death ? Do so ; but all we, the other 
gods, will by no means assent." 

And to her cloud-compelling Jove, answering, said : 
" Be of good cheer, my beloved child, Tritogeneia ; I by 
no means speak with a resolute 2 mind, but wish to be 
indulgent. Do, whatsoever is thy desire 3 , nor check thy- 185 
self in aught." 

So saying, he roused Minerva, before eager ; and, spring- 
ing 4 , she descended from the summits of Olympus. 

And swift Achilles followed Hector, ceaselessly pressing 
upon him. As when a dog in the mountains pursues the 
fawn of a deer through glens and through thickets, having jgo 
roused it from its lair, and, although, fear-stricken, it con- 
ceal itself behind a brake, still tracking it, he runs without 
stopping till he catch it; — so Hector eluded not the swift- 
footed son of Peleus. For as often as he strove to rush 
in front of the Dardan gates, towards the well-built towers, ^95 
that if possible they might assist him with missile weapons 
from above, so often, anticipating him, did he turn him 
away towards the plain ; whilst he himself always flew on 
the side of the city. And as in a dream one cannot pursue 
a fugitive ; neither can the one escape the other, nor the 200 
other pursue : so the one was not able to overtake the other 
by his speed, nor the other to escape. By what means 
then could Hector have escaped the doom of death, if 
Apollo had not, for the last time 5 , come to meet him, and 



i. ' . with a mind resolved to execute its own purposes. 

Where thy mind is. 4 Giving herself an impulse. 

Far ihe last and extreme time. 



476 ILIAD XXII.— V. 205—235. 

stimulated for him, his courage and swift knees ? For the 

205 noble Achilles nodded to the people with his head, nor 
suffered them to throw their dire weapons at Hector, lest 
some one, wounding him, should obtain glory, and he 
come but second. But when, for the fourth time, they 
came to the fountains, then at length the father suspended 

210 his golden scales, and placed in them two destinies of 
death, causing long sleep, the one for Achilles, and the 
other for the horse-taming Hector. And taking them by 
the middle, he sustained them, and the fatal day of Hector 
weighed down, and descended to Hades ; and Phoebus 
Apollo left him. And the blue-eyed goddess Minerva ap- 

215 proached Pelides, and, standing near, addressed to him 
these winged words : 

" Now, O illustrious Achilles, beloved of Jove, do I 
hope that we two shall bear back great glory to the ships 
of the Achaeans, having slain Hector, insatiable of battle 
though he be. Now it is no longer possible for him to 

220 escape us, not even if the far-darting Apollo should labour 6 
ever so much, throwing himself forward at the feet of our 
father, JEgis-bearing Jove. But stand thou now and 
breathe ; and I, approaching, shall persuade him to engage 
thee face to face/ 5 

Thus spake Minerva, and he obeyed and rejoiced in his 

225 soul ; and "Stood, leaning upon his ashen, brass-pointed 
spear. And she then left him, and overtook noble Hector, 
like Deiphobus in person and unwearied voice ; and, stand- 
ing near, addressed to him these winged words : 

" My brother, swift Achilles without doubt now presses 

230 thee greatly, chasing thee with rapid feet round the city of 
Priam. Come then, let us now stand, and, awaiting, repulse 
him/ 3 

And her, in return, the mighty plumed Hector ad- 
dressed : a Deiphobus, thou wast indeed to me, before, far 
the dearest of brothers — of the sons whom Hecuba and 

235 Priam produced. But now I think that I honour thee 

Should suffer very much. 



ILIAD XXII.— V. 230—265. 477 

yet more, since thou hast dared for my sake, — when thou 
didst behold me with thine eyes, to come out of the city, 
while others remain within." 

And him again the blue-eyed goddess Minerva ad- 
dressed : " My brother, indeed my father and venerable 
mother intreated me much, by turns embracing my knees, as 240 
well as my comrades arOund, to remain there — so much do 
all above measure fear him 7 — nevertheless my mind within 
was harassed with severe grief. Let us now then, eager 
as ive are, combat straightway, nor let there longer be a 
sparing of spears 8 , that we may know whether Achilles, 
having slain us both, shall bear our bloody spoils to the 245 
hollow ships, or be himself subdued by thy spear." 

Thus having spoken, Minerva also with guile led the 
way. And when, advancing towards each other, they 
were now near, the mighty plumed Hector first addressed 
him : 

£i No longer, son of Peleus, shall I fly thee as before. 250 
Thrice have I fled round the vast city of Priam, nor ever 
dared to await thee, coming on ; now, however, my spirit 
urges me to stand against thee — I shall slay, or be slain. 
Come then, let us here take the gods to witness ; for 
they will be the best witnesses and overseers of covenants. 255 
For I will not horribly maltreat thee, if Jove shall give 
me the victory, and I take away thy life : but when I 
shall strip from thee thy noble armour, O Achilles, I will 
give back thy body to the Achaeans ; and so do thou to 260 
me." 

Then, looking sternly, swift-footed Achilles addressed 
him : " Hector, demon, talk not of covenants to me. As 
there are not sworn treaties between lions and men, — nor 
have wolves and lambs a concordant mind, — but, un- 
ceasingly meditate evils against one another ; so it is not 
possible for thee and me to contract a friendship ; nor 265 



7 toiov — such — or, so great as he is. 

8 i. e. lose no time in employing them. 



478 ILIAD XXII.— V. 266— 295. 

shall there be at all any treaties between us two, — first one 
or other, falling, with his blood shall glut Mars, the daring 
warrior. Be mindful of all thy valour ; now does it greatly 
behove thee to be both a spear-man and a dauntless 

270 warrior. No longer is there a retreat for thee, for Pallas 
Minerva at once subdues thee by my spear; and thou 
shalt now give satisfaction for all the sorrows of my com- 
rades collected together, whom, raging, thou didst slay 
with thy spear " 

He said, and brandishing it, threw his long spear, and 
the illustrious Hector, seeing it coming, avoided it: for, 

275 looking forward 9 , he stooped, and that brazen spear flew 
over him, and fixed in the earth. And Pallas Minerva 
plucked it up, and gave it back to Achilles ; and it escaped 
the knowledge of Hector, shepherd of the people, — for 
Hector said to the renowned son of Peleus : 

a Thou hast missed, O godlike Achilles, nor art thou 

280 yet from Jove acquainted with my fate, though thou saidst 
thou wast — thou art but a prater, and a dissembler of 
words 1 — in order that, dreading thee, I might be forgetful 
of my courage and might. Not in my back, while flying, 
shalt thou thrust thy spear, but drive it through my 
breast, rushing directly on, if a god grant that to thee. 

285 Now in turn avoid my brazen spear — oh that thou mayst 
receive it all in thy body. Then surely would the war 
become lighter to the Trojans, for thou art the greatest 
destruction to them." 

He said, and, brandishing, hurled his long spear, and 

290 struck the middle of Pelides* shield, nor missed ; but the 
spear was repelled far from the shield. And Hector was 
enraged that his swift weapon had escaped useless from 
his hand ; and stood appalled, for he had not another ashen 
spear. Then called he upon the white-shielded Deipho- 

295 bus, shouting aloud, and demanded a long spear ; but he 



9 Or, previously seeing it. 

1 Alluding to Achilles' talk about Minerva. 



ILIAD XXII.— V. 296—328. 479 

was no longer at hand ; and Hector recognised the fact in 
his mind, and said : 

" Alas ! without doubt now the gods summon me to 
death. For I thought indeed that the hero Deiphobus 
was near, but he is within the wall, and Minerva has de- 
ceived me. Now in truth is evil death near me, nor longer 300 
at a distance ; nor is there escape. For truly long ago has 
this been agreeable to Jove, and to the far-darting son of 
Jove, who, before at least, propitious, defended me ; now, 
on the contrary, fate overtakes me. Yet, let me not, at 
least, perish cowardly and disgracefully, but acting mightily, 305 
to be heard of even by posterity." 

Thus having spoken, he drew his sharp sword, which 
hung below his loins, both huge and strong, and, turning, 
rushed forward like a high-flying eagle, which descends to 
the plain through the dark clouds, for the purpose of 310 
snatching away either a tender lamb, or a timid hare ; so 
Hector rushed forward, brandishing his sharp sword. 
Achilles also sprang to the attack, and filled his soul with 
fierce valour. And he held in his defence before his breast 
his shield, beautiful, curiously wrought; and nodded 315 
with his glittering four-coned helmet, whilst the beautiful 
golden crests, which Vulcan had spread in great abun- 
dance round the cone, were shaken. And as the star 
Hesperus, which is the brightest star in heaven, goes 
among other stars during the depth of the night ; so 
splendour shone from the very sharp spear, which Achilles, 320 
meditating evil to the noble Hector, shook in his right 
hand, examining his handsome body, where it would most 
readily yield. But the rich brazen armour, which Hector, 
having slain the mighty Patroclus, had stripped off, com- 
pletely 2 covered the rest of his body ; yet that part of the 
throat appeared, where the collar-bones divide the neck 325 
from the shoulders, and where is the quickest destruction 
of life. There the noble Achilles, eager, drove into him with 
a spear, and the point came out 3 at the opposite side 

2 Had so much. 3 Came quite through. 



480 ILIAD XXII.— V. 329—357. 

through the tender neck. Yet the ash, heavy with brass, 
cut not through the windpipe, so that he could say to him 

330 any thing, replying in words. And he fell among the 
dust, and the noble Achilles boasted over him : 

" Yet Hector, thou didst once suppose, when stripping 
the dead Patroclus, that thou wouldst be safe, nor didst 
dread me, whilst away. Fool, I was left behind a much 

335 braver avenger for him, apart at the hollow ships, / who 
have loosened thy knees. Thee indeed shall dogs and 
birds foully tear, but him the Achseans shall bury with 
funeral rites." 

And him, the plumed Hector, growing languid, ad- 
dressed : 6i I intreat thee by thy life, and thy knees, and 
thine own parents, suffer not the dogs to devour me at 

340 the ships of the Achaeans ; but accept thou brass in abun- 
dance, and gold, which my father and venerable mother 
will give thee ; and give back my body home, that the 
Trojans and wives of the Trojans may honour me dead 
with a funeral pile." 

But the swift-footed Achilles, looking sternly, thus ad- 

345 dressed him : i( Dog, supplicate me not by my knees, nor 
my parents ; for I would that my fury and indignation 
would in any way stimulate me myself, tearing to pieces 
thy raw flesh, to eat it, for the deeds which thou hast done 
me. Therefore there is no one who shall drive away the 

350 dogs from thy head — not, if they should lay down ten-fold 
and twenty-fold ransoms, bringing them here, and promise 
others also ; not even if Dardan Priam should desire to 
weigh thyself with gold 4 , not even thus shall thy venerable 
mother weep over him whom she bore, placing him upon 
his bier, but dogs and birds shall entirely tear thee in 
pieces." 

355 And him the helmed Hector, dying, addressed: "Well 
knowing thee, in truth, I presaged this, nor was I likely 
to persuade thee ; for surely there is an iron soul within 



i. e. to redeem thee with thy weight in gold. 

8 



ILIAD XXII.— V. 358—391. 481 

thee. But reflect now, lest I be a cause of divine hatred 5 
to thee, on that day, when Paris and Phoebus Apollo shall 
Blay thee, brave as thou art e , in the Scaean gates." 360 

The end of death enveloped him, thus speaking ; and, 
(putting vigour and youth, his soul, flying from his limbs, 
descended to Hades, mourning its destiny. And him, 
although dead, the noble Achilles addressed : 

" Die : for I shall then receive my fate, when Jove wills 365 
to accomplish it, and the other immortal gods." 

He said, and plucked the brazen spear from the body, 
and laid it aside, and tore the bloody armour from his 
shoulders. And other sons of the Achaeans ran round, 
who also admired the size and noble form of Hector ; nor 370 
did any one stand by without inflicting a wound. And 
thus said they, looking to those who were near : 

" Oh ! surely Hector is now much more gentle to be 
handled, than when he kindled the ships with glowing 
fire." 

Thus said some, and, standing by, wounded him. And 375 
when swift footed Achilles had stripped him of his spoils, 
standing among the Achaeans, he addressed to them these 
winged words : 

i( O friends, leaders and chiefs of the Argives, since the 
gods have granted me to subdue this man, who wrought 
many evils, such as did not all the others — come, let us 380 
try the city all around with our arms, that we may gain 
some knowledge of the Trojans, what mind they have ; 
whether they will leave the high city, now he has fallen, 
or venture to remain, although Hector be no more. But 
why does my heart deliberate these things within me ? 385 
Patroclus lies an unwept, unburied corpse beside the ships ; 
and him I shall never forget, as long as I am among the 
living, and my dear knees can move ; and if even they be 
forgetful of the dead in Hades, yet will I remember my 390 
beloved comrade even there. Come then, Achaeans, singing 



Hatred of the gods. c Being brave. 

i i 



482 ILIAD XXII.— V. 392—425. 

paeans, let us return to the hollow ships and bear him 
away, for we have obtained great glory: we have slain 
noble Hector, whom the Trojans throughout the city 
honoured as a god/' 
395 He said, and meditated shocking deeds against the noble 
Hector. He perforated the tendons of both his feet be- 
hind, from the heel to the instep, and fastened in them 
leathern thongs and tied him to the car ; and left his head 
to be dragged. And then mounting his chariot, and lift- 
400 ing up the noble armour, he flogged the horses to proceed, 
and they, not unwilling, flew. And the dust arose from 
him, while dragged along, and his azure hair was shaken 
around, and his whole head, once graceful, lay in the dust ; 
for Jove had then granted to his enemies, to insult him in 
405 his own native land. Thus was his whole head defiled 
with dust ; and his mother plucked out her hair, and threw 
off her shining veil far from her, and shrieked very loudly, 
beholding her son. And his beloved father groaned 
piteously, and all the people around were occupied in 
410 howling and lamentation throughout the city; and it was 
most like to this, as if all lofty Ilium were consuming from 
its summit with fire. Hardly indeed did the people detain 
the old man, swelling with grief, and eager to go out from 
the Dar daman gates ; for, rolling in the mud, he suppli- 
415 cated all, addressing each man by name from among the 
crowd : 

£i Desist, my friends, and anxious though ye be, permit 
me, alone, going out of the city, to go to the ships of the 
Achaeans. I will entreat this destructive man, the perpe- 
trator of dreadful actions, if perchance he will reverence 
420 my years 7 , and have pity upon my age ; for such as I am 
is his own father, Peleus, who begot and brought him up 
to be a destruction to the Trojans ; but particularly on me 
above all has he inflicted sorrows. For he has slain for 
me so many blooming sons — for all of whom I lament not 
425 so much, grieved though I be, as for this one, Hector, for 

7 Age. 



ILIAD XXII.— V. 426— 455. 483 

whom my grief will soon bear me down even to Hades. 
Would that he had died in my arms 8 ; so should we have 
been satisfied, weeping and mourning over him, both his 
unhappy mother who bore him, and I myself/ 5 

Thus he spake, weeping, and the people also groaned. 
And Hecuba began her miserable 9 lamentation among the 430 
Trojan women : 

" My son, why do I, miserable, live, suffering terrible 
things, and thou art dead ? Thou who by night and day 
wast my boast throughout the city, and an advantage to 
the Trojan men and women throughout the town, who 
received thee like a god. For surely thou wast a very great 435 
glory to them, whilst alive ; now, on the contrary, death 
and fate hold thee. 55 

Thus she spake, weeping ; and the wife of Hector had 
not yet learned aught ; for no sure messenger, going, had 
informed her that her husband had remained without the 
gates ; but she was weaving a web in the inner chamber of 440 
her lofty house, double, splendid, and was spreading on it 
various flowers. And she had given directions to her fair- 
haired attendants in the house, to place a large tripod round 
the fire, that a warm bath might be ready for Hector, re- 
turning from battle ; foolish woman, for she knew not, that 445 
very far from the baths, the blue-eyed Minerva had subdued 
him by the hands of Achilles. But she heard the shriek 
and wail from the tower, and her limbs were shaken, and 
her shuttle fell to the ground ; and she again addressed her 
fair-haired domestics : 

u Hither two of you follow me, that I may see what 450 
deeds have been done. I heard the voice of my venerable 
mother-in-law, and within myself, the heart in my breast 
leaps to my mouth, and my limbs are torpid under me. 
Surely some evil is now near the sons of Priam. O that 
I might never hear it \ And I very much fear lest the 455 

8 Hands. 9 Thick. 

1 that the word — i. e. the report, the account of it, might be far from 
my ear. 

i i 2 



484 ILIAD XXII. — V. 456—488. 

noble Achilles, cutting off the brave Hector alone from the 
city, has driven him to the plain, and put a stop to the fatal 
valour, which possessed him ; for he never remained among 
the throng of warriors, but sprang far forward, yielding in 
his own valour to none." 

460 So saying, she rushed through the mansion like a maniac, 
with a palpitating heart 2 , and her handmaids went along 
with her. And when she came to the tower and to the 
crowd of men, she stood, gazing round upon the wall ; and 
marked him, dragged in front of the city, and the swift 

465 steeds dragged him miserably towards the hollow ships 
of the Achaeans. Then gloomy night involved her eyes, 
and she fell backwards, and breathed out her life. And 
far from her head fell the admirable head-dresses, the gar- 
land, and the net, and the twisted fillet, and the veil which 

470 the golden Venus had given to her on that day, when 
plumed Hector led her from the house of Eetion, after he 
had given numerous marriage presents. And around her 
in great numbers stood her sisters-in-law and sisters, who 
restrained her among them, eagerly desiring to destroy her- 
self. But when she breathed again, and her mind was col- 

475 lected in her breast, sobbing at intervals, she spake among 
the Trojan women : 

" Hector, wretched me ! we were both then born to an 
equal destiny, thou indeed in Troy, in the abode of Priam, 

480 and I in Thebes, at the woody Flacus, in the mansion of 
Eetion ; who, himself ill-fated, nourished me, ill-fated, 
being yet a little child : — Oh ! that he had never begotten 
me. Now, however, thou goest to the mansions of Pluto, 
below the recesses of the earth, and leavest me, in heavy 

485 grief, a widow in our halls ; and thy boy thus, yet an infant, 
whom thou and I, unfortunate, begot ; nor wilt thou be an 
advantage to him, O Hector, since thou art dead ; nor he 
to thee. For even if he shall escape the lamentable war 
of the Achaeans, still toil and sorrows will always be his 



2 Palpitating as to her heart. 



ILIAD XXII.— V. 489—515. 485 

lot 3 in time to come ; for others will deprive him of his 
fields by taking away the landmarks ; and this orphan- 490 
making day has rendered the boy destitute of all compa- 
nions of his own age, and he is altogether cast down, and 
his cheeks are wet with tears. And the boy in want shall 
go to the comrades of his father, seizing one by the cloak, 
and another by the coat : and one of these, compassionating 
him, shall present him with a very small cup ; and he shall 495 
wash his lips, but not moisten his palate. And him also 
shall some one, blessed with both his parents, push from 
the feast, striking him with his hands, and reviling him 
with reproaches : ( Begone with a curse, thy father in truth 
feasts not along with us.' And then shall the boy Astyanax 500 
repair weeping to his widowed mother — he who formerly, 
upon the knees of his own father, was wont to eat marrow 
alone, and the rich fat of sheep : and when sleep came 
upon him, and he ceased from childishly crying, was wont 
to sleep upon a couch in the arms of his nurse, in a soft 
bed, having his heart filled 4 with delicacies. But now, 505 
Astyanax, upon whom the Trojans bestowed the sirname, 
(because thou alone didst defend for them their gates and 
lofty walls,) shall suffer many things, deprived of 5 his dear 
father. And now thee shall crawling worms devour, naked, 
beside the curved-beaked ships, far from thy parents, after 510 
the dogs shall have glutted themselves : and thy garments, 
fine and graceful, woven by the hands of women, lie in 
thy halls. Nevertheless all these will I consume with 
glowing fire, being of no use to thee, for thou shalt not lie 
in them ; yet they will be a glory before the Trojan men 
and women." 

Thus she spake, weeping, and the women also wailed 515 
around. 

3 Be to him. 

4 Filled as to his heart. 5 Erring from. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER. 



BOOK XXIII. 



ARGUMENT. 
The funeral of Patroclus, and the games celebrated on the occasion. 

Thus they mourned throughout the city. Meanwhile the 
Achaeans, as soon as they reached the ships and the 
Hellespont, dispersed each to his own ship ; but Achilles 
suffered not the Myrmidons to disperse, and addressed 
5 himself to his war-loving comrades : 

" Ye swift-riding Myrmidons, comrades dear to me, let 
us not yet loose our solid-hoofed horses from our cars, but 
with the steeds themselves and cars, going near, let us weep 
for Patroclus ; for this is the reward of the dead. And 

10 after we have indulged our sad lamentation, then unyoking 
the horses, we will all sup." 

Thus he spake, and they mourned in a body ; and 
Achilles led the way. And three times they drove their 
beautiful steeds round the body, mourning ; and Thetis 

15 excited a thirst of lamentation among them. The sands 
were wetted, and the armour of the men was wetted 
with tears ; for they much regretted so brave a warrior. 
And among them Pelides led ' the loud lamentation, 

1 i. e. he was chief mourner. 

12 



ILIAD XXIII.— V. 16—50. 187 

Laying his man-slaying hands upon the breast of his com- 
rade : 

" All hail. Patroclus, even in the mansions of Pluto ; for 
I will now make good all those things which I before pro- 20 
mised — that,, dragging Hector hither, I would give him to 
the dogs to be devoured raw ; and that before thy pile I 
would cut off the heads of twelve noble sons of the Tro- 
jans — enraged on account of thee, slain." 

He said, and meditated foul deeds upon the noble Hec- 
tor, cast prone in the dust before the bier of Menoeti- 25 
ades; and they stripped off each their brazen glittering 
armour, and unyoked their high-sounding steeds. Then 
they sat down in great numbers beside the ship of the 
swift-footed JEacides ; and he furnished to them a refresh- 
ing funeral feast. Many white bulls were stretched around 30 
by the knife 4 , having their throats cut, and many sheep 
and bleating goats. Many swine also, with, white teeth, 
full with fat, were extended for roasting over the flame of 
Vulcan ; and in every direction round the corpse blood 
flowed in abundance. And the king, the swift-footed son 35 
of Peleus, the princes of the Achaeans conducted to the 
noble Agamemnon, with difficulty persuading him, grieved 
as he was at his heart for his comrade. And wdien they, 
proceeding, had now reached the tent of Agamemnon, he 
immediately gave orders to the loud-tongued heralds to 
place a large tripod on the fire, that he might persuade 40 
Pelides to wash off from himself the bloody gore. But he 
steadily refused, and moreover swore an oath : 

" No, by Jove, who is both the supreme and best of the 
gods, it must not be that the bath come near my head, 
before I lay Patroclus upon his funeral pyre, and pile up 45 
his mound, and crop my hair ; since never thus will sorrow 
a second time reach my heart, whilst I am among the 
living. Nevertheless let us now obey the hateful feast. 
And to-morrow, O king of men, Agamemnon, give orders 
to fetch wood and place it near, such as is proper for a 50 

2 Iron. 



488 ILIAD XXIII.— V. 51 — 83. 

dead body, possessing, to repair beneath the gloomy shade ; 
in order that the unwearied fire may consume him more 
quickly from our eyes, and the people be turned to their 
labours.' 5 

Thus he spake : and they readily listened to him, and 
55 obeyed. Then each, sedulously preparing supper, feasted ; 
nor did their appetite want aught of an equal banquet. 
And when they had taken out of themselves the desire of 
eating and drinking, they went for the purpose of sleeping, 
each to his tent. 

But the son of Peleus, on the shore of the far-sounding 
60 sea, lay heavily moaning, among his Myrmidons, in a clear 
spot, where the waves washed in upon the beach ; when 
sleep took possession of him, dissolving the cares of his 
soul, sweetly poured round him; for he was greatly fa- 
tigued in his good limbs, chasing Hector at windy Ilium. 
65 And the ghost of the miserable Patroclus came to him, 
like to him in every respect, in bulk, and beautiful eyes, 
and voice ; and similar garments also were upon his form ; 
and he stood over his head, and addressed to him this 
speech : 

" Sleepest thou, and art forgetful of me, Achilles ? Thou 
70 didst not neglect me when alive, but now that I am dead. 
Bury me, that I may as soon as possible pass the gates of 
Hades. The spirits, the shades of the deceased, drive me 
far away, nor at all permit me to mingle with them on the 
other side of the river ; but thus do I wander round the 
75 wide-gated abode of Pluto. And give me thine hand, I 
beseech thee, for I shall not again return from Hades, 
after ye have made me a partaker of the fire. For not 
again, alive, sitting apart from our beloved comrades, shall 
we deliberate upon plans ; but that hateful fate, which fell 
80 to my share at my birth, has swallowed me up. And 
to thyself also, O godlike Achilles, it were the doom to 
perish beneath the wall of the nobly-born Trojans. And 
I will speak and enjoin thee another thing, O Achilles, if 
thou wilt obey — not to lay my bones apart from thine : 



ILIAD XXIII.— V. 84— lie. 489 ' 

but as we were together brought up in your mansions, ever 
since Mencetius took me from Opeis, while yet a little one, 85 
to your house, on account of a sad homicide on that day, 
when I slew the son of Amphidamus, — foolishly — not in- 
tending it, enraged about some cockalls 3 — there Peleus, 
receiving me in his abode, carefully brought me up, and 
named me thy attendant \ So also the bones of both us 90 
may the same casket enclose — the golden vase, which thy 
venerable mother gave thee." 

And him, swift- footed Achilles, answering, addressed: 
" Why, O revered spirit 5 , comest thou to me, and givest 
me these particular directions ? I will, however, readily 95 
fulfil all these things for thee, and obey, as thou com- 
mandest. But stand nearer me — let us embrace each 
other, though but for a little while, and indulge our sad 
lamentation." 

Thus then having spoken, he stretched out for him with 
his friendly hands, but caught him not ; for the spirit 100 
under the earth like smoke vanished, shrieking. And 
astounded, Achilles started up, and clapped together his 
hands, and uttered this doleful speech : 

" Alas ! there is indeed then, in the abodes of Hades, 
some spirit and image, but there is no body in it at all ; 
for all night the ghost of the miserable Patroclus stood by 105 
me, groaning and lamenting, and gave me particular direc- 
tions, and wonderfully resembled himself." 

Thus he spake ; and excited among them all the desire 
of lamentation ; and the rosy-fingered morn appeared to 
them while weeping round the wretched corpse. Mean- 110 
while king Agamemnon roused in every direction, from the 
tents, both mules and men to fetch in wood ; and over 
them rose a brave man, Meriones, the attendant of the 
valour-loving Idomeneus. And others went, holding in 
their hands wood-cutting axes and well twisted ropes ; and 115 
before them went the mules. And over many ascents and 

3 Or pastern- bones, played with as dice. 

* Comrade — or, in the chivalric sense, a sort of squire. 5 Head. 



490 ILIAD XXIII.— V. 117 — 147. 

descents, and straight roads and cross ones, they passed. 
But when at last they arrived at the forests of Ida of many 
fountains, immediately, making haste, they cut down high- 
branched oaks with long-edged hatchets 6 . And these, 

120 loudly crashing, fell: and the Achasans, then laying them 
together, bound them upon the mules, which pawed the 
ground with their feet, anxious to reach the plain through 
the close thickets. And all the wood-cutters carried trunks 
of trees ; for so Meriones, the comrade of the valour-loving 

125 Idomeneus, gave command; and then cast them in order 
upon the shore, where Achilles had marked out a vast tomb 
for Patroclus, and for himself. 

And when in every direction they had thrown down vast 
quantities of wood, they sat there in a body, waiting ; and 
Achilles immediately commanded the warlike Myrmidons 

130 to gird on their brazen armour, and to yoke each his horses 
to his car ; and they bestirred themselves, and put on their 
armour. And both the combatants and charioteers ascended 
into their chariots. First went the cavalry, and a cloud 
of infantry followed after in immense numbers ; and his 
comrades bore Patroclus in the midst. And they covered 

135 all the dead body over with hair, which, clipping off, they 
threw upon it ; but the noble Achilles held his head be- 
hind, grieving, for he was sending an illustrious comrade 
to the grave. 

And when they came to the spot where Achilles pointed 
out to them, they laid him down ; and immediately piled 

140 up for him in abundance the wood. Then again swift- 
footed Achilles thought of something else. Standing apart 
from the pile, he cut off his yellow hair — that which he 
nourished, blooming, dedicated to the river Spercheius : 
and, groaning, he spake, looking upon the dark sea : 

" In vain, O Spercheius, did my father Peleus vow to 

145 thee, that I, returning to my beloved native land, would 
there cut off for thee my hair, and offer a sacred hecatomb ; 
and that I would on the same spot sacrifice fifty male sheep 

6 Brass. 



ILIAD XXIII.— V. 148—178. 491 

at the fountains, where there are a grove and a fragrant altar 
to thee. Thus vowed the old man, but thou hast not fulfilled 
his purpose. And now since I return not to my dear 1 50 
native land, I will give my hair to the hero Patroclus, to 
be carried with him" 

So saying, he placed the hair in the hands of his friend ; 
and excited among them all the desire of lamentation. 
And the light of the sun would have surely set upon them 
still mourning, had not Achilles, standing by, immediately 155 
addressed Agamemnon : 

66 Atrides — for to thy words will the people of the 
Achaeans pay most obedience — there may be too much of 
grief; and now disperse them from the pile, and bid them 
get their supper. About those matters will we toil, to 
whom the corpse is most an object of care : and let the chiefs 160 
remain with us." 

And when the king of men, Agamemnon, heard this, 
he immediately dismissed the people to their good ships ; 
but the mourners 7 remained there, and piled up the wood. 
And they erected a pyre, an hundred feet wide on this 
side and on that 8 , and laid the body upon the top of the 155 
pile, grieving in their heart. And many fat sheep, and 
slow-footed, crxim\Ae-horned oxen they skinned and dressed 
before the pile; and from them all brave Achilles, taking 
the fat, covered over the dead body ivith it from head to 
feet, and heaped round it the skinned carcases. And lean- 
ing over the bier, he placed likewise jars of honey and oil, ] 70 
and, groaning heavily, hastily threw upon the pile four 
high-necked horses. Nine dogs were companions at table 
to the king, and, slaying two of them, he cast them upon 
the pile ; and twelve gallant sons of the brave Trojans, 175 
killing them with the sword ; for he meditated evil deeds 
in his soul 9 . Next he sent in the invincible force of fire, 
that it might feed : then groaned, and addressed his be- 
loved companion by name : 

7 Those having care. 8 i. e. a square of 100 feet. 

9 I. c. the sacrifice of these twelve. 



492 ILIAD XXIII.— V. 179—209. 

" Rejoice with me, O Patroclus, even in the abodes of 

180 Hades ; for I now accomplish all things for thee which I 
before promised — twelve gallant sons of the brave Trojans, 
all these, along with thee, shall the fire devour ; but I will 
not give Hector, son of Priam, to the fire to devour, but to 
the dogs." 

1 85 Thus he spake, threatening ; but him the dogs seized 
not upon ; for Venus, daughter of Jove, drove away the 
dogs by days and nights, and she had anointed him with 
a rosy ambrosial oil, that, while dragging, Achilles might 
not lacerate him. Over him also Phoebus Apollo brought 
a cerulean cloud from heaven to the plain, and over- 

190 shadowed all the space, as much as the corpse occupied, 
that the force of the sun might not previously dry up the 
body all round with the nerves and limbs. 

Yet the pile of the dead Patroclus burnt not. Then 
again the noble Achilles thought of other things. Stand- 
ing apart from the pile, he prayed to two winds, Boreas 

] 95 and Zephyrus, and promised handsome sacrifices ; and, 
pouring out many libations from a golden goblet, he in- 
treated them to come, in order that they might as soon as 
possible consume the body with fire, and the wood might 
hastily be burnt \ And the swift Iris, hearing his prayers, 

200 came as an inter-messenger to the Winds. They were then 
together within the palace of the fierce-breathing Zephyrus, 
celebrating a feast ; and Iris, running in, stood upon the 
stone threshold. And when they beheld her with their 
eyes, they started up, and invited her, each towards him- 
self. But she, however, refused to sit down, and delivered 
this speech : 

205 " No seat for me ; for I am going again to the streams 
of Oceanus, to the land of the ^Ethiopians, where they are 
sacrificing hecatombs to the immortals, that I also may now 
have a share in their offerings. But Achilles now sup- 
plicates Boreas and tumultuous Zephyrus to come — and 
promises handsome victims — that ye may stir up the pile 

1 Make haste to, &c. 



ILIAD XX 1 1 1.— V. 210—24 3. 493 

to burn, on which lies Patroclus, whom all the Achseans 210 
lament. 55 

She then, having thus spoken, departed ; and they 
rushed forward with a vast tumult, driving the clouds 
before them. And forthwith they came to the sea to blow, 
and the billow rose under their sonorous blast; and they 215 
reached fertile Troy, and fell upon the pile, and the fierce- 
burning fire loudly roared. And all night indeed did they 
together toss about the flame of the pile, shrilly blowing ; 
and all night did swift Achilles, taking a two-eared cup, 
pour wine upon the ground from a golden bowl, exhaust- 220 
ing it, and moisten the earth, calling upon the spirit of the 
wretched Patroclus. And as a father mourns, while burn- 
ing the bones of his own son, a bridegroom, who, dying, 
hath grieved his miserable parents ; so mourned Achilles, 
while burning the bones of his comrade, stalking beside 225 
the pile, frequently groaning. But when Lucifer arrived, 
bearing new* s of light to the earth, after whom the crocus- 
robed Aurora diffuses over the sea, then the pile grew lan- 
guid, and the flame ceased ; and the Winds departed again, 
to return home across the Thracian sea ; and that groaned, 230 
raging with a swell. 

And Pelides, removing in another direction from the 
pile, lay down wearied, and sw r eet sleep came upon him. 
The others, however, gathered in a body round Atrides 2 , 
the tumult and bustle of whom, approaching, awoke him ; 
and raising himself upright, he sat, and spake to them this 235 
word : 

6i Son of Atreus, and ye others, the bravest of all the 
Achaeans, first quench the w r hole funeral pile, as much as 
the force of fire occupied, with dark wine ; and then let us 
collect the bones of Patroclus, the son of Menoetius, cor- 240 
rectly distinguishing them; and they are easily distin- 
guishable, for he lay in the middle of the pyre, and the 
others, horses and men, mixed together, lay apart at the 

2 But those about Atrides numerous collected — i. e. Atrides and his staff 
— Atrides and other chiefs. 



494 ILTAD XXIII.— V. 244—277. 

extremity ; and let us place them in a golden vase, and 
with double tallow, till I myself be hid in Hades. And a 

245 tomb I have directed to be made, not very large, but a 
moderate sort of one; and do you, Achaeans, afterwards, 
render it both broad and lofty, who may be left after me 
in the many-benched ships. 55 

Thus he spake ; and they obeyed the swift-footed Pe- 

250 lides. First they extinguished the funeral pile with dark 
wine, as much as the flame came upon, and the deep ashes 
sank down; and, weeping, collected the white bones of 
their gentle comrade into a golden vase, and into double 
fat ; then laying it in the tent, covered it over with fine 

255 linen. Next they marked out the tomb, and threw the 
foundations round the pile ; then cast upon it the dug-up 
earth ; and having piled up the tomb, returned again. 
Meanwhile Achilles detained the people there, and caused 
a large assembly to sit down ; and brought from the ships, 

260 as prizes, goblets, and tripods, and steeds, and mules, and 
strong heads of oxen, and women with beautiful zones, 
and splendid iron. First he staked as prizes for fleet 
horsemen 3 , a woman to be taken home, beautiful and ac- 
complished; and a tripod, with handles 4 , of two-and- 

265 twenty measures for the foremost ; and for the second, 
again, he staked a mare, six years old, unbroken, heavy 
with a mule foal ; for the third, again, he staked a tripod 
that had not felt the fire, beautiful, containing four mea- 
sures, still bright 5 ; for the fourth he staked two talents 

270 of gold ; and for the fifth he staked a double vase that 
had not felt the fire. And he stood upright, and delivered 
this speech among the Argives : 

i£ Atrides, and ye other well-armed Achaeans, these prizes 
lie in the circus, awaiting the charioteers. If now, in 

275 honour of another, we were celebrating games, surely 
would I, taking the first prizes, bear them to my tent. 
For ye know how much my steeds surpass in excellence ; 

3 i. e. for a car-race. 4 Eared — with ears. 

5 i. e. as it came from the maker. 



ILIAD XXIII.— V. 278—311. 495 

because they are immortal; and Neptune presented them 
to my lather Peleus, and he again delivered them to me. 
But, however, I will remain quiet, and my solid-hoofed 
horses ; because they have lost the gallant strength of so 280 
kind a charioteer, who very frequently poured the moist 
oil over their manes for them, washing them with pure 
water. Him do they, standing, mourn, and their manes 
hang down upon the ground, and they stand, grieved at 
heart. But the rest of you, make ready, throughout the 285 
army, whosoever of the Achaeans has confidence in his 
steeds and well-compacted chariots." 

Thus spake the son of Peleus ; and the swift horsemen 
collected. By far the first rose Eumelus, king of men, the 
beloved son of Admetus, who was conspicuous for his 
horsemanship. After him rose the son of Tydeus, brave 290 
Diomedes, and led to the yoke the Trojan horses, which 
he once took from ^Eneas, but himself Apollo saved alive 6 ; 
and next to him rose the nobly-born son of Atreus, yellow- 
haired Menelaus, and led to the yoke fleet coursers, Aga- 
memnon's ^Ethe, and his own Podargus. Her, Echep- 295 
olus, the son of Anchises, had presented as a gift to Aga- 
memnon, that he might not accompany him to windy 
Ilium, but, remaining at home 7 , enjoy his ease; for 
Jupiter had given him great w r ealth, and he dwelt in 
spacious Sicyon. Her, eager for the race, Menelaus led 300 
to the yoke. And Antilochus, the fourth, harnessed his 
beautiful horses, — the illustrious son of the brave king 
Nestor, son of Neleus — and swift-footed Pylus-bred steeds 
bore his chariot for him ; and his father, standing near, 
spake for his good, advising him, though he was himself 305 
intelligent : 

ei Antilochus, certainly both Jupiter and Neptune loved 
thee, when very young, and taught thee all kinds of horse- 
manship ; and therefore there is no great need to teach 
thee. For thou knowest w r ell how to turn the goals ; but 310 
thy horses are very slow in running, and therefore I am 

6 Saved by snatching away. 7 There. 



496 ILIAD XXIII.— V. 312—341. 

afraid there will be mischief 8 . But though their horses are 
more fleet, yet they themselves know not how to make use 
of more stratagems than thyself. Come then dear, lay 
thou up all sorts of devices within thy mind, that the prizes 

315 may not escape thee. By skill is the wood-cutter much 
more powerful than by strength ; and by skill again does 
the pilot upon the dark sea direct the swift ship, tossed 
about by the winds ; and by skill does charioteer excel 
charioteer. One relying on his steeds and his car, rolls 

320 unskilfully here and there over much space, and his steeds 
wandering along the course, nor does he controul them. 
But he who is acquainted with stratagems 9 , though driving 
inferior horses, looking always towards the goal, turns it 
close, nor does he neglect, from the first, to tighten his 

325 leathern reins 1 ; but he keeps steadily on, and watches 
him who precedes. Now I will describe thee the goal 
very distinctly, nor shall it escape thee. There stands a 
dry stake, as much as a cubit, above the ground, either of 
oak, or of larch, what is not rotted with rain ; and two 
white stones are placed on each side of it, in the narrows 

330 of the road ; but there is a level horse-road on both sides 
— either it is the monument of a man long since dead, or 
perhaps it has been a turning-post among the men of old, 
and now the swift-footed noble Achilles has made it a goal. 
Approaching this very closely, drive thou thy chariot and 

335 horses near ; but incline thyself a very little towards the 
left of them in the well-wheeled chariot ; and cheering 2 
thy right-hand horse with a shout, flog him, and yield to 
him the reins in thy hands. Let thy left-hand horse, how- 
ever, be moved close upon the post, so that the nave of 
thy good wheel may appear to touch the top of the post ; 

340 yet shun to strike upon the stone, lest thou both wound 
thy horses, and break in pieces thy car, and thou be sport 



That there will be some accident — and that you will not succeed. 
i. e. who knows how to take advantage of circumstances. 
Nor does it escape him, that at first he should pull with his reins. 
6noK\r]Gag, cheering with a shout. 



ILIAD XXIII.— V. 343—376. 497 

to the others, and disgrace to thyself. But, dear, mind 
and be on thy guard ; for if at the turning-post thou couldst 
drive past, there is no one who could overtake thee in pur- 345 
suit, nor pass thee by ; no, not if at thy heels he drive the 
noble Areion, Adrastus' fleet steed, which was of race 
divine ; or those of Laomedon, which also, of good breed, 
have here been reared." 

So saying, the Neleian Nestor again sat down in his 
place, after he had told the chief parts of each thing to his 350 
own son. And Meriones, the fifth, harnessed his well- 
maned horses. Then they ascended their chariots and cast 
in their lots. Achilles shook the helmet, and the lot of Anti- 
lochus, son of Nestor, sprang out ; and after him king Eu- 
melus obtained his lot ; and after him was the spear-skilled 355 
Menelaus, son of Atreus, and after him Meriones obtained 
his lot to drive ; and last the son of Tydeus, far the 
bravest, obtained his lot to drive his coursers. Then they 
stood in order ; and Achilles pointed out the goal, far away 
in the level plain ; and placed beside them, as an observer, 360 
godlike Phcenix, the armour-bearer of his own father, that 
he might pay attention to the race, and report the truth. 

Then at once all raised their lashes over their steeds, and 
struck them with the reins, and cheered them on with their 
words ardently ; and they swiftly flew across the plain, 365 
soon far away from the ships ; and beneath their chests 
the dust stood — raised, like a cloud or a whirlwind ; and 
their manes were waved about by the breath of the wind. 
Sometimes indeed the chariots touched the fruitful earth, 
and at other times leaped up aloft : but the drivers stood 370 
erect in their chariots, and the heart of each of those, 
eager for victory, palpitated : and each animated his own 
coursers, and they flew along, stirring up dust from the 
plain. But when at last the fleet horses were accomplish- 
ing the last part of the course, back towards the hoary 
deep, then was the excellence of each apparent, and the 375 
speed of the horses immediately put to its stretch 3 ; 

3 And their running to the horses stretched. 

k k 



498 ILIAD XXIII.— V. 377—408. 

and the swift-footed mares of the son of Pheres, (Eumelus) 
quickly borne him before the others. And after them the 
Trojan stallions of Diomede, carried him ; nor were they at 
all far apart, but very near ; for they were always like 
horses just going to mount into the chariot. The back 

380 and broad shoulders of Eumelus grew warm with their 
breathing ; for they flew along, leaning their heads close 
to him. And now Tydides would have either passed, or 
made the victory doubtful, had not Phoebus Apollo been 
enraged with him, and 4 thrown out of his hands the 
shining lash. And from his eyes, indignant fell the 

385 tears, because them he beheld getting along even faster, 
and his own were retarded, running without a scourge. 
Neither did Apollo, thus craftily injuring Tydides, escape 
Minerva ; for she very quickly overtook the shepherd of 

390 the people, and gave to him his lash, and put new vigour 
into his steeds. And to the son of Admetus, angry the 
goddess advanced, and broke for him the yoke 5 for his 
horses ; and his mares ran on each side of the road, and the 
pole fell to the earth. And he himself was cast out of 

395 the car beside the wheel, and was lacerated all round in 
his arms, and his mouth, and nostrils, and his forehead 
was bruised near the eyebrows ; and his eyes were filled 
with tears, and his liquid voice was checked. Then Ty- 
dides, passing him, guided his solid-hoofed horses, leaping 
forth far before the others ; for Minerva had sent vigour 

400 into his steeds, and gave to him glory. And then next to 
him, the son of Atreus, the yellow-haired Menelaus, held 
his course; and Antilochus exhorted the steeds of his 
father : 

" Push on ! and exert yourselves, both of you, as fast as 
possible. I do not indeed bid you contend with those 

405 coursers of the warlike Tydides, to which Minerva has 
now supplied speed, and given glory to himself; but 
quickly, overtake the steeds of Atrides, — nor be left 
behind — lest J2the, though a mare, pour disgrace upon 

4 oq pa — he who, &c. 5 His equestrian yoke. 



ILIAD XXIII.— V. 410—440. 499 

you both. Why be left behind, good steeds ? For thus 410 
I tell you, and it will surely be accomplished; no care 
will there be for you with Nestor, shepherd of the peo- 
ple, but he will immediately slay you with sharp brass, 
if lazy, we bear away the more unworthy prize. But 
get up with them then, and hasten as speedily as pos- 415 
sible. These things I shall myself contrive and see— to 
pass him in the narrowest road ; nor shall it escape me 6 . 

Thus he spake; and they, fearing the threat of their 
master, ran faster, a little while ; and immediately after 
the stout warrior Antilochus beheld the narrows of the 
hollow way. It was a cleft of the earth, where the wintry 420 
water, collected, had broken away part of the road, and 
deepened all the place ; thither Menelaus drove, avoiding 
a concussion of wheels. But Antilochus, turning out of 
the road, directed his solid-hoofed horses, and, deviating a 
little, pursued him. Then Atrides was afraid, and shouted 425 
to Antilochus : 

" Antilochus, thou drivest 7 madly; but check thy steeds 
— for the road is narrow, and thou wilt soon drive past in 
a wider — lest thou damage both, by running foul of my 
chariot. 55 

Thus he spake : but Antilochus still drove even much 
faster, impelling them on with the lash, like one who did 430 
not hear 8 . As far as are the casts of a quoit, hurled from 
the shoulder, which a vigorous man throws, making trial of 
his strength 9 ; so far they ran together ; but the mares of 
Atrides fell behind ; for he himself, of his own accord, 
ceased to urge, lest the solid-hoofed horses should run foul 
of each other in the road, and overturn the well-compacted 435 
chariots, and they themselves fall amid the dust, while con- 
tending for victory. The yellow-haired Menelaus also ad- 
dressed him, reviling : 

u Antilochus, none other among mortals is more perni- 
cious than thou. Begone, for we Achaeans have untruly said 400 

6 i. e. the opportunity. 7 Guidest thy horses. 

8 As like to one not hearing. ° Of his youth. 

K k2 



500 ILIAD XXIII.— V. 441—473. 

thou wert a prudent person. Yet not even thus shalt thou 
bear away the prize without an oath V 

So sayings he animated his coursers, and spake to them: 
" For my sake do not dally, nor stand, grieving in your 
hearts : the feet and knees of them will be sooner weary 

445 than yours ; for they have both lost their vigour P 

Thus he spake ; and they, respecting the exhortation of 
their lord, ran more fleetly, and were soon near to them. 

And the Argives, sitting in assembly, looked towards the 
steeds; and they flew along, raising dust, over the plain. And 

450 first Idomeneus, leader of the Cretans, distinguished the 
horses ; for he sat out of the ring, very high upon a watch 
tower ; and hearing him 2 , though afar off, animating his 
steeds, knew him. He distinguished also a remarkable 
horse taking the lead, which in every other place indeed 

455 was of a chesnut colour, but in its forehead there was a 
white circular spot, like the moon. And he stood upright, 
and delivered this speech among the Argives : 

" O friends, leaders and princes of the Argives, do I 
alone observe the coursers, or do ye also ? Other steeds 
appear to me to be the foremost, and there seems another 

460 charioteer ; and his mares, which were there superior, have 
been impeded somewhere upon the plain : for assuredly, 
I saw them passing round the turning-post first, but now 
I am no longer able to see them, though, gazing, my eyes 
look in all directions over the Trojan plain. Surely the 

465 reins have dropped 3 from the charioteer, and he could not 
well check his horses round the turning-post, and was un- 
fortunate 4 in turning. There I am afraid he fell out, and 
at the same time broke the car, and the mares bolted, when 

470 fury seized their souls. But look ye also, rising 5 , for I do 
not well distinguish ; yet it appears to me to be an ^Etolian 
by birth, who rules over Argives, the son of the horse-taming 
Tydeus, gallant Diomedes." 

1 i. e. you shall take an oath that you had no malicious designs — that it 
was not your purpose to gain your object by overturning me. 

2 Diomedes. 3 Fled. * Did not obtain. 
5 avacTafiov, in an upright position. 



ILIAD XXIII.— V. 474—504. 501 

And him the swift Ajax, son of Oileus, sharply reproved : 
u Idomeneus, why chatterest thou prematurely ? Those 
high- galloping 6 mares scour the vast plain far away. 475 
Neither art thou so much the youngest among the Argives, 
nor do thine eyes see the sharpest from out thy head ; but 
thou always talkest too fast. Nor does it become thee to 
be prating, when others, thy superiors, are by. But the 
same mares — those of Eumelus, are still foremost, which 480 
were before, and he himself is advancing, holding the 
reins." 

And to him, in reply, the leader of the Cretans, indig- 
nant, spake: " Ajax, best at abuse, reviler — in all other 
things thou art inferior to the Argives — because thy dis- 
position is sour ; come, let us bet 7 a tripod or a goblet, 485 
and appoint Agamemnon, son of Atreus, umpire, as to 
which horses are foremost ; that thou mayst learn modesty 
by paying 8 ." 

Thus he spake ; and swift Ajax, son of 0'ileus, instantly 
started up to reply in angry words. And the strife would 490 
have now proceeded farther with both, had not Achilles 
himself stood up, and delivered this speech : 

" No longer now, O Ajax and Idomeneus, reply in harsh 
and angry words ; for it is not becoming, and ye also would 
blame another, who did such things : but, sitting down in 495 
the ring, look ye to the horses ; they will, contending for 
victory, soon come here themselves ; and then ye will 
know each of you, the steeds of the Argives, which are 
second, and which are first." 

Thus he spake ; and Diomedes, dashing along, came very 
near, and always urged on his coursers, with the iash over 500 
the shoulders; and his steeds rose high into the air, 
rapidly making their way, and clouds of dust kept falling 
on their charioteer. And the chariot, ornamented with 
gold and tin, rolled along close to the swift-footed horses, 
nor was there a deep track of the tires behind in the fine 

e Lifting their feet into the air. 

7 Bind ourselves with. 8 i. e. pay the penalty of your insolence. 



502 ILIAD XXIII.— V. 505—540. 

505 dust, for they flew, hastening. And he stood in the 
middle of the course, and much sweat sprang out from the 
steeds from their crests and chests to the ground. And 
he himself sprang to the ground from his glittering car, 
and leant his scourge against the yoke ; nor was the gal- 

510 lant Sthenelus idle, but eagerly took the prize, and gave 
the lady to his brave comrades, to take away, and the 
handled tripod to bear off ; and he himself unyoked the 
horses. 

And next to him Neleian Antilochus drove his steeds, 
outstripping Menelaus by guile, — not certainly by speed. 

515 Yet even thus Menelaus kept his fleet coursers near him; 
but as distant from the wheel as is a horse, which, stretch- 
ing along with its chariot, drags its master over the plain, 
and the last hairs of its tail touch the wheel-tire, for it 

520 runs very near, nor is there much space between, as it 
scours the vast plain 9 ; so far was Menelaus left behind 
by noble Antilochus; though at first he had been left 
behind as much as a quoit's cast, he speedily overtook 

525 him ; for the good vigour of Agamemnon's mare, the 
beautiful-maned ^Ethe, was increased. And if the race 
had been yet farther to both, in that case he would have 
passed him by, nor left the victory doubtful. And Me- 
riones, the active comrade of Idomeneus, was left behind 

530 a spear's cast by the illustrious Menelaus ; for his steeds 
were the slowest, and he himself the worst at driving a 
car in contest. But the son of Admetus came last of all x , 
dragging his handsome chariot, and driving his horses 

535 before him. And beholding, swift-footed noble Achilles 
pitied him, and standing among the Argives, uttered these 
winged words : 

" The best man drives his solid-hoofed horses last. But 
come, let us give him, as is fitting, the second prize : and 
let the son of Tydeus bear away the first." 

Thus he spake; and all approved as he commanded. 

540 And now he would have given him the mare — for the 

9 It running over much plain. ' Of the others. 



ILIAD XXIII.— V. 541—570. 503 

Achaeans approved — had not Antilochus, son of brave 
Nestor, rising, answered Achilles, the son of Peleus, with 
justice : 

" I shall be very angry with thee, O Achilles, if thou 
givest effect to that speech ; for thou art going to deprive 
me of my reward, thinking these 2 things, that his car 545 
and fleet horses met with an accident, and himself was a 
good driver ; but he ought to have prayed to the immor- 
tals, so he w r ould not have come driving last. But if 
thou pitiest him, and it be agreeable to thy mind, there is 
in thy tent much gold, and there is brass, and there are 
cattle, and handmaids, and solid-hoofed steeds. — Taking 550 
from these, by and bye, give him even a greater reward, or 
even now at once, that the Achaeans may praise thee. 
But this mare I will not give up, and let him among the 
warriors strive for her, who chooses to contend with me 
in battle \" 

Thus he spake ; and swift-footed noble Achilles smiled, 555 
congratulating Antilochus, because he w r as a comrade dear 
to him ; and, answering, addressed to him these winged 
words : 

" If now, O Antilochus, thou dost advise me to give to 
Eumelus something else from my house, that will I do. 
I will give him the corselet, which I took from Asteropaeus, 560 
brazen, and around which runs a rim of shining tin; and 
it will be of great value to him V 

He said ; and commanded his beloved companion Au- 
tomedon to fetch it from the tent : and he went, and 
brought it to him ; and he put it into the hands of Eu- 565 
melus, and he received it rejoicing. And Menelaus also 
rose among them, grieving in his mind, vehemently en- 
raged with Antilochus. Then a herald placed the sceptre 
in his hands, and commanded the Argives to be silent; 
and the godlike hero then spake among them : 

" Antilochus, heretofore prudent, — what hast thou done? 570 

2 i. e. on this ground. 3 With hands. 

4 It will worth — oi' equivalent to much. 

12 



504 ILIAD XXIII.— V. 571—602. 

Thou hast disgraced my skilly and wronged my steeds, 
pushing on before them thine, which are very much infe- 
rior. Come then, ye leaders and princes of the Argives, 

575 judge ye between us both 5 , and not for favour; lest some 
of the brazen-mailed Achaeans should say : ' Menelaus, 
having oppressed Antilochus with falsehoods, is going to 
carry off the mare, because, though his horses were much 
inferior, he himself is superior in dignity and power/ But 

580 come, I will myself judge, and I am not afraid 6 that any 
other of the Danaans will blame me, for the sentence 
will be just. Come, if thou wilt, noble Antilochus, as it 
is proper, standing before thy horses and car, and holding 
in thine hands the pliant lash, with which thou didst drive 
before, touching the steeds, swear by earth-encircling 

585 Neptune, that thou didst not designedly impede 7 my car 
by guile. 5 ' 

And to him, in reply, the prudent Antilochus said : 
" Bear with me now, for I am much younger than thou, 
O king Menelaus, and thou art elder and superior to 
me. Thou knowest what are the follies of a young man ; 

590 for his temper is hasty, and his wisdom weak. Therefore 
let thy heart bear with me, for I will myself give thee the 
steed, which I have received. And if thou demandest 
aught else of greater value from my house, I would prefer 
immediately to give it, rather than fall for ever, O noble 

595 prince, from thy good will 8 , and be a sinner 9 against the 
gods." 

He spake ; and the son of brave Nestor, leading the 
mare, placed it in the hands of Menelaus ; and the soul 
of Menelaus was cheered, as the dew on the ears of grow- 
ing corn refreshes them, what time the fields are bristling 

600 with grain. So indeed, O Menelaus, was thy soul in thy 
breast cheered ; and, speaking, he addressed him in these 
winged words : 

5 In the middle to both. 6 I do not think. 7 Entrap, entangle. 

8 From the mind to thee. 

9 i. e. by violating the respect due to elders and superiors. 



ILIAD XXIII.— V. 603—633. 505 

" Now indeed, Antilochus, will I myself give way, angry 
as I was, for thou hast been before neither foolish nor 
hair-brained ; though now, on the contrary, thy youth con- 605 
quered thy reason. Avoid, a second time, over-reaching l 
thv superiors ; for another of the Achaeans might not easily 
have appeased me. But as 2 thou hast already suffered 
much, and performed much, as well as thy good father and 
brother, for my sake — therefore will I be persuaded by 610 
thee, thus supplicating, and likewise will give the mare, 
though she is mine ; that these also may know, that my 
soul is never unjust and ungentle.' 5 

He said ; and gave the steed to Noemon, the comrade of 
Antilochus, to lead away; and then took the glittering 
goblet himself. And Meriones, the fourth,/^/ as he drove 
his car, took up the two talents of gold ; and the fifth prize 615 
was left, a double vase, which Achilles, carrying through 
the assembly of the Argives, gave to Nestor, and, standing 
by him, said : 

(i Accept it now, and let this gift be preserved by thee, 
to be a memorial of the burial of Patroclus ; for never more 
shalt thou behold him among the Argives. And I present 620 
thee with this prize thus ; for thou wilt not fight with the 
caestus, nor wrestle, nor take part in the hurling of the 
javelin, nor run with thy feet, since afflictive old age now 
presses thee." 

So saying, he placed it in his hands ; and he received 
it rejoicing, and, addressing him, uttered these winged 625 
words : 

a Assuredly, my child, thou hast said all these things 
with propriety ; for no longer, dear, are my limbs firm, 
nor my feet ; nor yet do my hands move light on both 
sides from my shoulders. Would that I were as young, 
and my strength as firm to me, as when the Epeians buried 630 
king Amarynceus, at Buprasium, and his sons staked the 
prizes of the king. Then no man was a match for me, 
neither of the Epeians, nor of the Pylians themselves, nor 

1 To over-reach. 2 a\\a yap — yap refers to ry in line GOO. 



506 ILIAD XXIII.— V. 634—663. 

of the brave yEtolians. With the caestus I conquered Cly- 
tomedes, son of Enops: and, in wrestling, Ancaeus, the 

635 Pleuronian, who stood up against me ; and on foot I out- 
stripped Iphiclus, though a good runner; and with the 
spear I threw beyond Phyleus and Polydorus. The two 
sons of Actor outdrove me with their steeds alone 3 by 
number i overcoming me, eager for victory, because the 

640 greatest prizes were left for that struggle. And they were 
two ; the one steadily guided the reins, and the other 
urged on the steeds with the lash. Thus was I once, but 
now, in turn, let younger men undertake such deeds ; for 
it becomes me now to obey sad old age, though I then 

645 excelled among heroes. Go then, and celebrate thy com- 
rade^ obsequies with other games. This, however, I will- 
ingly accept, and it delights my soul, that thou art ever 
mindful of me, who am kindly disposed to thee — nor am I 
forgotten by thee — on account of this honour, with which 

650 it is right for me to be honoured among the Achaeans. 
And for these things may the Gods give thee an ample 
return 5 " 

Thus he spake ; and the son of Peleus went down the 
large assembly of the Achaeans, after he had heard all the 
praise of Nestor. And he staked the prizes for a laborious 

655 boxing-match. Leading a mule, patient of toil, six years 
old, unbroken, one most difficult to be tamed, he tied it 
down in the circus ; and for the conquered, again, he staked 
a double cup : and then stood upright, and delivered this 
speech among the Argives : 

(i Ye sons of Atreus, and other well-greaved Achaeans, 
for these prizes we invite two men, who are the most ex- 
pert, most enduring, to strike with their fists ; and to which- 

660 ever Apollo give victory, and all the Achaeans approve, 
let him, taking the mule, patient of labour, conduct it 
to his tent; and the vanquished shall bear away this 
double cup." 

3 i. e. it was only in the car-race I was beaten. 

4 i. e. by there being two of them. 5 Becoming favour. 



ILIAD XXIII— V. 664—695. 507 

Thus he spake ; and immediately rose a man brave and 
huge, skilful in boxing, Epeios, the son of Panopeus ; and 665 
he touched the mule, patient of labour, and said : 

" Let him draw near, who shall bear away the double 
cup ; but I say that no other of the Achaeans, conquering 
with his fists, shall lead away the mule ; since I profess 
myself to be the best boxer. Is it not enough that I am 670 
inferior in battle 6 ? It is by no means possible for a man 
to be skilled in all works. For thus I declare, and it shall 
also be accomplished, I will, in the presence of you all 7 , 
lacerate his body, and break his bones. And let his friends 8 
remain here assembled, who shall carry him out, subdued 675 
by my hand." 

Thus he spake; and they all became mutely silent. 
And Euryalus alone stood up against him, a godlike hero, 
son of king Mecisteus, a descendant of Talaion, who once 
came to Thebes at the funeral of the fallen (Edipodes 9 , 
and there overcame all the Cadmeians. Him the spear- 680 
skilled Tydides attended, encouraging him with words, for 
he greatly wished him victory. And first he threw round 
him his girdle, and then gave him the well-cut * thongs 
made of the hide of a wild bull. And they, having girded 
themselves, advanced into the middle of the circus, and 685 
both at once, lifting their strong hands in opposition, fell 
to, and their heavy hands were mingled together. And 
there was a dreadful crashing of jaws, and the sweat flowed 
in all directions from their limbs. And noble Epeios 
rushed in, and struck him on the cheek while looking 690 
round, nor was he able longer to stand ; for his good limbs 
sunk under him. And as when, under the breeze of the 
north wind, a fish leaps out upon the weedy shore, and the 
black billow covers it ; so leaped he up 2 when struck. And 
the brave Epeios, taking him in his hands, raised him up ; 695 



6 i. e. is it not enough, that though I am inferior in battle, I am superior 
in boxing ? 7 Or, entirely. 

8 Those who care for him. 9 i. e. Eteocles. 

1 These are czestus — or boxing-gloves. 2 i. e. and fell. 



508 ILIAD XXIII.— V. 696—726. 

and his dear comrades stood round, who led him through 
the circus with his feet dragging, spitting out clotted blood, 
and dropping his head on one side ; and then, leading him, 
placed him among them, insensible 3 ; and, departing, they 
took the double cup. 

700 And the son of Peleus quickly proposed other prizes — 
the third — for sharp wrestling, showing them to the Da- 
naans ; for the conqueror a large tripod, fit for the fire, and 
the Achaeans valued it among themselves at twelve oxen ; 
and for the vanquished man he placed a female in the midst. 
And many works she understood, and they valued her at 

705 four oxen. And he stood upright, and delivered this speech 
among the Argives : 

" Arise, ye also who will attempt this contest." Thus he 
spake; and up then the mighty Telamonian Ajax arose, 
and the sagacious Ulysses stood up, skilful in wiles. And 

710 these, having girded themselves, advanced into the middle 
of the circus, and seized each other in an embrace 4 with 
their strong hands : as when the rafters of a lofty house 
are interwoven, which a skilful builder has fitted, warding 
off the violence of the winds. Then their backs cracked, 

715 forcibly dragged by their powerful hands, and the copious 
sweat ran down ; and many whelks, purple with blood, 
started up upon their sides and shoulders. Yet always 
eagerly sought they the victory, for the sake of the well- 
wrought tripod. Neither could Ulysses overthrow, nor at 

720 all bring him to the ground, nor could Ajax, for the firm 
strength of Ulysses hindered him. But when the well- 
armed Achaeans were now growing weary, then at length 
the mighty Telamonian Ajax addressed him : 

" Most noble son of Laertes, wily Ulysses, either lift 
thou me up, or I thee, and the consequences will be a care 
to Jove ■* 

725 So saying, he lifted him up ; but Ulysses was not for- 
getful of a stratagem. Aiming at his ham, behind, he 

3 Delirious. 4 ayKcig — within their arms. 

* to. av — thing then, or after — leave the rest to Jove. 



ILIAD XXIII.— V. 727—760. 509 

struck him, and loosened his limbs, and he fell backwards ; 
and Ulysses fell upon his breast ; and the people, again, 
gazed in admiration, and were amazed. Next noble Ulysses 
resolute, raised him in turn, and moved him a little from 730 
the ground, and yet did not lift him up ; but twisted round 
his knee ; and both fell upon the ground near one another, 
and were covered with dust. And a third time, springing 
up, would they have wrestled, had not Achilles himself 
stood up and restrained them : 

Ci No longer contend, nor weary yourselves with evils. 735 
Victory belongs to both, therefore depart, taking equal re- 
wards, that other Achaeans also may contend/ 5 

Thus he spake ; and they very readily listened to him, 
and obeyed ; and, brushing away the dust, put on their 
tunics. And the son of Peleus immediately stakes other 740 
rewards — those of speed, — a wrought silver cup, and it 
contained six measures, and in beauty greatly excelled 
every one upon the whole earth, for the ingenious Sidonians 
had skilfully wrought it, and Phoenicians had brought it 
over the dark sea, and placed it in the harbours, and given 745 
it as a present to Thoas. And Euneus, son of Jason, had 
given it to the hero Patroclus, as a ransom for Lycaon, son 
of Priam. This also Achilles put as a prize to be contended 
for, in honour of his comrade, by him who was most active 
with rapid feet ; for the second again he proposed an ox, 750 
large and flourishing with fat ; and for the last he staked 
half a talent of gold. And he stood upright and delivered 
this speech among the Argives : 

" Arise, ye who would make trial of this contest also." 
Thus he spake ; and immediately swift Ajax, son of Oileus, 
rose, and wily Ulysses ; and then Antilochus, son of Nes- 755 
tor, for he indeed excelled all the youths in speed 6 . And 
they stood in a row, and Achilles showed the bounds ; and 
their course was marked out by a turning post. Then the 
son of Oileus swiftly took the lead; but noble Ulysses 
pressed very close upon him ; as when a shuttle is near 760 

6 With his feet. 



510 ILIAD XXIIL— V. 761—793. 

the breast 7 of a well-zoned woman, which she throws very 
skilfully in her hands, drawing out along the shuttle- 
thread, and holds it near her breast : so Ulysses ran near 
him ; and with his feet struck his foot-marks behind, 

765 before the dust was sprinkled about. Moreover noble 
Ulysses, always running swiftly, poured his breath upon 
his head ; and all the Achaeans shouted for him, eager 
for victory, and animated him, hastening rapidly. And 
when now they were completing «the end of their race, 
Ulysses immediately prayed within his mind to the blue- 
eyed Minerva : 

770 " Hear me, O goddess, and come a kind assistant to my 
feet." 

Thus he spake, praying ; and Pallas Minerva heard him ; 
and she made his knees light, his feet, and his hands above. 
And when at last they were just going to spring upon the 
prize, then Ajax slipped, whilst running — for Minerva did 

775 the mischief — where the dung was scattered about of the 
slaughtered loud-lowing oxen, which swift-footed Achilles 
had slain in honour of Patroclus ; and his mouth and his 
nostrils were filled with cow-dung. Then brave, noble 
Ulysses took up the goblet, as he came in first ; and the 

780 illustrious Ajax received the ox. And he stood, holding 
the horn of the wild bull in his hands ; and, spitting out 
the dung, said among the Argives : 

"Alas! it is a goddess that has injured my feet, who 
ever of old, like a mother, stands by and assists Ulysses." 
Thus he spake ; and they all then laughed heartily at 

785 him. And Antilochus now took away the lowest prize, 
smiling, and delivered this speech among the Argives : 

" I speak to you all, who know it, my friends, that still 
even now the immortals honour the aged. For Ajax, 

790 indeed, is a little older than I ; but this 8 man is one of a 
former generation, and of former men ; yet they say that 
he is of a green old age, and it is difficult for the Achaeans 
to contend with him in speed, excepting Achilles." 

7 GTrjQeog governed by ay%i. 8 Ulysses. 



ILIAD XXIII.— V. 704—823. 511 

Thus he spake ; and complimented the swift-footed son 
of Peleus. And Achilles, answering, addressed him in 
f/wse words : 

" Thy praise, O Antilochus, shall not be spoken in vain 795 
— but I will add half a talent of gold for thee." 

So saying, he placed it in his hands ; and he received it, 
rejoicing. And the son of Peleus, carrying them into the 
circus, laid down a long spear, and a shield, and an helmet, 
the arms of Sarpedon, which Patroclus had taken from 800 
him : and stood upright, and delivered this speech among 
the Argives : 

iC For these prizes we invite two, who are the bravest, 
clothing themselves in armour, and grasping the body- 
piercing brass, to make trial of each other in presence of 
the assembly. Whichever is first in aiming with the spear 805 
at the fair body, and touches the viscera through the 
armour and black blood 9 , to him indeed shall I give this 
silver-studded beautiful Thracian sword, which I once took 
from Asteropaeus. But let both bear away this armour 
in common ; and I will set before them a good feast in 810 
my tents." 

Thus he spake ; and then the mighty Telamonian Ajax 
arose, and also the son of Tydeus, the gallant Diomedes, 
sprang up. And when they had armed, apart on each 
side from the throng, both came together into the midst, 
eager to fight, looking fiercely ; and amazement seized all 815 
the Achaeans. And when, advancing towards each other, 
they were near, thrice they sprang forward, and thrice 
charged hand to hand. There then Ajax smote his ad- 
versary upon the shield, every w r here equal, but reached 
not the body, for the corslet within defended him. And 
Tydides next, with the point of his glittering spear, cut 820 
even to his neck, over his large shield. And then at last 
the Achaeans, fearing for Ajax, commanded them, desist- 
ing, to receive 1 equal rewards. And the hero gave the 

9 i. e. in one sentence — whichever first wounds the other through his 
armour. 1 To lift up. 



512 ILIAD XXIII.— V. 824—856. 

825 huge sword to Tydides, bringing it with both its scabbard 
and well-cut belt. 

Then the son of Peleus laid down a rough iron-quoit, 
which the vast strength of Eetion was formerly wont to 
throw. Him however, swift-footed noble Achilles slew ; 
and he brought this also, with other spoils, into his ships. 

830 Then he stood upright, and delivered this speech among 
the Argives : 

" Arise, ye who would make trial of this contest also. If 
the rich fields of any one be of ever so great extent, using 
this, he will have enough for even five revolving years 2 ; 

835 for neither his shepherd nor plowman shall go to the town 
in want of iron, but this shall supply it." 

Thus he spake ; and then up sprang the brave Polypcetes, 
and up the gallant might of the godlike Leonteus ; up also 
the Telamonian Ajax, and the noble Epeios. Then they 
stood in a row ; and the noble Epeios seized the quoit, and 

840 whirling it round, hurled it ; and all the Achaeans laughed 
at him. Then Leonteus, a branch of Mars, threw second ; 
third, again, threw the mighty Telamonian Ajax from his 
strong hand, and cast beyond the marks of all. But when 

845 now stout Polypcetes had seized the quoit, — as far as some 
cow-herd hurls his crook, and it, whirling, flies through 
herds of oxen, so far he cast beyond the whole field 3 , and 
the Achaeans shouted aloud ; and the comrades of the 
gallant Polypcetes, standing up, carried the prize of the 
king to the hollow ships. 

850 Next, for the archers, he laid down black 4 iron, and 
placed on the one hand ten battle axes, and on the other 
ten half-axes. And he set upright the mast of a cerulean- 
beaked ship, at a distance on the sand; from which he 
fastened a timid dove with a small cord, by the foot, at 

855 which he ordered them to shoot : " Whosoever shall strike 
the timid dove, let him lift up all the battle-axes, and bear 5 

2 It — i. e. so large was the mass. 

3 i. e. beyond all the other competitors — aywv used for ayiovivrriQ. 

i i. e. apparently — weapons, or tools of iron. 5 Lifting — bear, &c. 



ILIAD XXIII.— V. 857—887. 513 

tlicm to his tent ; and whosoever shall hit the string, 
missing the bird — for he is inferior — let him carry off the 
half-axes." 

Thus he spake ; and then up sprang the might of king 
Teucer, and up Meriones, the active comrade of I dome- 860 
neus; and, seizing the lots, shook them in a brazen 
helmet. And Teucer first gained the lot; and immedi- 
ately sent an arrow forcibly, but did not promise to sacri- 
fice a noble hecatomb of firstling lambs to king Apollo. 
The bird he missed, for Apollo grudged him this, but he 865 
hit, near the bird's foot, the string with which the bird 
was fastened; and the bitter arrow cut the string quite 
through. Then the bird mounted towards heaven, and 
the string dropt towards the earth ; and the Achaeans 
shouted applause. And then Meriones, making haste, 870 
snatched the bow from his hand ; and already was holding 
the arrow for some time as he had aimed ; and immedi- 
ately he vowed to sacrifice to the far-darting Apollo a noble 
hecatomb of firstling lambs. And high up, under the 
clouds, the timid dove he beheld ; and her, as she was 875 
wheeling round, he hit in the middle, below the wing, and 
the arrow went quite through. It indeed was fixed again 
in the ground before the foot of Meriones ; but the bird 
alighting upon the mast of the cerulean-beaked ship, hung 
down its neck, and its thick wings were at the same time 
distended. And its fleet soul flew from its members, and 880 
it fell far from the mast ; and the people wondered at the 
sight, and were astonished. And then Meriones lifted up 
all the ten battle-axes, and Teucer bore away the half-axes 
to the hollow ships. 

Then the son of Peleus, carrying them into the circus, 
laid down 6 a long spear, and also a cauldron, untouched 885 
by fire, of the value of an ox, adorned with flowers ; and 
forthwith the spearmen arose. Up sprang the son of 
Atreus, wide-ruling Agamemnon, and up Meriones, the 



c Kara, 883, belongs to S/j/a, 885. 

L 1 



514 ILIAD XXIII.— V. 889—898. 

active comrade of Idomeneus : and to them also swift- 
footed noble Achilles addressed himself: 

890 ee Son pf Atreus — for we know how far thou surpassest 
all, and how much thou art the best in power and in 
darting 7 — do thou then take 8 to the hollow ships this 
prize : and we will give the spear to the hero Meriones, 
if, at least, thou wilt consent in thy mind ; for so I ad- 
vise." 

895 Thus he spake ; nor did the king of men, Agamemnon, 
refuse ; and Achilles gave the brazen spear to the hero 
Meriones ; and the hero himself gave the splendid prize to 
the herald Talthybius. 

7 Ifiaviv — in thongs — with which the javelins were thrown. 

8 Go, having. 



THE 



ILIAD OF HOMER. 



BOOK XXIV. 



ARGUMENT. 



Jupiter commands Thetis to repair to Achilles, and require the restoration 
of Hector's body. Mercury, by his desire, also repairs to Priam, whom 
he guides through the Grecian camp to the tent of Achilles. The inter- 
view between Achilles and Priam. The body is ransomed, brought back 
to Troy, and honoured with a funeral ; for the celebration of which a 
truce of twelve days had been granted. 

The meeting was now dissolved, and the people were dis- 
persed to go each to the hollow-ships. They indeed were 
careful to indulge in the feast and in sweet sleep; but 
Achilles wept, calling to mind his beloved comrade, nor 
did all-subduing sleep take possession of him, and he turned 
on this side and on that, mourning the loss 1 of the 5 
vigour and mighty courage of Patroclus. Whatever 
things, also, he had accomplished with him, and what- 
ever labours suffered, both in the battles of heroes and 
in crossing the dangerous waves — recalling these things, 
he poured down the warm tear, lying sometimes upon 10 
his sides, sometimes again on his back, and at other 
times on his belly ; and then, starting upright, wandered 
about, in sadness, by the shore of the sea ; nor did the 

1 Desiring or wishing for the vigour, &c. 

l12 



516 ILIAD XXIV.— V. 13—43. 

mora, appearing over the sea and shores, escape his obser- 
vation 2 . And when he had yoked his fleet horses to the 

15 car, he fastened Hector to be dragged behind his car; and 
having drawn him thrice round the tomb of the dead son 
of Mencetius, again rested in his tent; and left him, 
having stretched him (Hector) prone in the dust. But 
Apollo kept away all pollution from his body, pitying the 

20 hero, even although dead ; and covered him all round with 
his golden ^Egis, that, in dragging him, he (Achilles) might 
not lacerate him.' 5 

Thus he indeed, raging, insulted noble Hector ; but the 
blessed gods, looking towards him, felt compassion, and 

25 stirred up the watchful Argiphontes 3 to steal him. Then 
indeed that pleased all the rest, but by no means Juno, nor 
Neptune, nor the blue-eyed maid (Minerva); but they 
were obstinate, as sacred Ilium was from the first hate- 
ful to them, as well as Priam and his people, on account 

30 of the insult of Paris, who affronted the goddesses *, when 
they came to his cot, and favoured her who gratified his 
sad lust. But when the twelfth morning from that had 
arisen, then also Phoebus Apollo spake among the im- 
mortals : 

a Ye are cruel, O gods, and injurious. Did Hector 
never burn for you the legs of bulls and of choice goats ? 

35 And will ye now not venture to rescue him, a corpse, for 
his wife, and mother, and his son, and his father Priam, 
and the people to behold ; who would quickly burn him 
with fire, and perform for him his funeral obsequies ? But 
ye desire to bestow favour, O ye gods, upon the destructive 
Achilles, in whose bosom there is neither a just mind, nor 

40 a flexible disposition ; and who is as savage 5 as a lion, 
which, when yielding to his great strength and haughty 
spirit, rushes upon the flocks of men, that he may take his 
repasts. Thus Achilles has destroyed compassion, nor is 



- I. e. he was still awake. 3 Slayer of Argus — Mercury. 

4 Juno and Minerva. 5 Knows savage things. 



ILIAD XXIV.— V. 44— ;r. 517 

there in him respect for others — ;i quality which both 45 
greatly injures men, and benefits them. For a man may 
lose another even more dear, either an own brother, or 
even a son, but he desists from weeping and lamenting, for 
the fates have into men put an enduring mind. Whereas 
this man drags Hector round the tomb of his beloved com- 59 
rade, fastening him to his car, after he has deprived him 
of valued life ; although that is not proper, nor better 
for himself. Let him beware, lest we be avenged on him, 
brave as he is — for raging, he insults even the insensible 
earth/' 

And to him white-armed Juno, indignant, said : " This 55 
might indeed be thy speech, god of the silver bow, if ye 
gods were to give equal honour to Achilles and to Hector. 
Hector is a mortal, and sucked a woman's breast; but 
Achilles is the offspring of a goddess, whom I myself 
brought up and nursed, and gave as a wife to the hero gQ 
Peleus, who is dear to the immortals at heart : and ye 
were all present at the nuptials, O ye gods; and thou 
among them didst feast, holding thy lyre, O companion 
of the worthless, ever faithless." 

And to her cloud-compelling Jove, answering, said : 
" Juno, be not now altogether enraged with the gods ; for 55 
their 6 honour shall not be one : but even Hector was to 
the gods the dearest of the mortals who are in Ilium ; for 
so he was to me ; because he never failed in agreeable gifts. 
For my altar never wanted an equal feast, frankincense, ~q 
nor odour : and that honour is ours by fate. Nevertheless 
we will have nothing to do with stealing brave Hector — 
nor indeed can it possibly be done without the knowledge 
of Achilles — for he always watches him, as well by night 
as by day, like a mother. But I wish one of the gods 
would call Thetis near me, that I may speak to her a pru- 75 
dent word, in order that Achilles may accept gifts from 
Priam, and set Hector free." 

Thus he spake ; and Iris, swift as the storm, arose to carry 

6 Hector and Achilles. 



518 ILIAD XXIV.— V. 78—109. 

the message. And midway between Samos and the rugged 
Imbrus she sprang into the dark sea, and the water echoed 

80 again. And she sank to the bottom like a leaden bullet, 
which, put into the horn of a wild bull, descends, bearing 
death to carnivorous fishes. And Thetis she found in her 
hollow cave, and around her sat the other sea goddesses, 
collected together ; and she, in the midst, was weeping the 

85 fate of her own illustrious son, who was soon to perish at 
fertile Troy, far from his native land. And swift-footed Iris, 
standing near, addressed her : 

" Rise, Thetis, Jove, skilful in eternal counsels, calls 
thee." And her answered then the silver-footed goddess, 
Thetis : 

90 " Why does that mighty god summon me ? I am ashamed 
to mix with immortals, for I have innumerable woes in my 
soul. But I must go ; nor will the word be in vain, which 
he speaks." 

Thus then having spoken, the noblest of the goddesses 
took her dark veil, and there was not a blacker robe than 

95 it. And she set out to go, and the wind-footed, fleet Iris 
led the way before ; and the water of the sea retired on 
each side of them. And next, ascending the shore, they 
rushed up 7 to heaven. And they found the far-sounding 
son of Saturn ; and all the other blessed ever-living gods 
sat assembled round him ; and she then sat down beside 
100 father Jove, and Minerva gave place to her. And Juno 
placed a beautiful golden cup in her hands, and consoled 
her with words ; and Thetis, having drunk, returned it. 
And the father of men and gods began among them in 
these words : 

" Thou hast come to Olympus, though grieved, O god- 

] 05 dess Thetis, having in thy mind a sorrow not to be for- 
gotten ; and I myself know it. But even so "must I speak, 
and for this have I called thee hither. Nine days already 
has a contest been excited amongst the immortals respect- 
ing the body of Hector, and Achilles, destroyer of cities ; 

7 They were impelled up. 



ILIAD XXIV.— V. 110—140. 519 

and they have urged the watchful Argiphontes to steal 110 
him. But I rather give this glory 8 to Achilles, preserving 
for the future thy respect and love. Go with all speed to 
the camp, and enjoin thy son. Tell him that the gods are 
offended, and that I above all the immortals am displeased, 
because with furious mind he detains Hector at the beaked 
ships, nor releases him : and see if he will respect me, and 115 
restore Hector. And I will dispatch Iris to noble Priam, 
for him to repair to the ships of the Achaeans, and ransom 
his beloved son, and carry gifts to Achilles, which will 
soothe his soul." 

Thus he spake ; nor did Thetis, the silver-footed god- 120 
dess, disobey ; but, leaping, descended from the summits 
of Olympus. And she came to the tent of her own son, 
and in it she then found him, incessantly groaning ; and 
round him his beloved comrades were busily employed, and 
cooking a repast, for a large thick-fleeced sheep had been 125 
slain by them in the tent. And his august mother sat 
down very near him, and caressed him with her hand, and 
addressed him, and called him by name : 

" How long 9 , O my son, grieving and lamenting, wilt 
thou thus consume thy heart, having no remembrance of 
either food or the couch ? Yet it is good to mingle in love 130 
with woman ; and thou wilt not live long for me, but death 
and powerful destiny already stand close to thee. But 
quickly learn from me, for I am a messenger to thee from 
Jove. He says that the gods are offended with thee, and 
that himself above all the immortals is displeased, because 135 
with furious mind thou detainest Hector at the hollow 
ships, nor releasest him. Come then, restore, and accept 
the ransom of the corpse." 

And to her swift-footed Achilles, answering, said : u Let 
him come hither, who brings the ransom, and carry away 
the corpse, if the Olympian himself now command it with 140 
a mind disposed to it K" 

8 i. e. which he is going to mention— selling the body. 

,J Up to what time. i i. e. seriously. 



520 ILIAD XXIV.— V. 141—174. 

Thus they, the mother and the son, at the assemblage 
of the ships, spake many winged words to one another. 

And the son of Saturn urged Iris towards sacred Troy : 
" Haste — away, rapid Iris, quitting the seat of Olympus, 

145 bear a message to brave Priam to Ilium, — that, repairing, 
to the ships of the Achaeans, he ransom his beloved son, 
and carry gifts to Achilles, which will soothe his mind — 
himself alone, nor let any other of the Trojans go with 
him. Let some herald, advanced in years accompany him, 

150 to guide his mules and well- wheeled waggon, as well as to 
bring back again to the city the corpse, which the noble 
Achilles has slain; nor let death be a trouble to his mind 2 , 
nor any dread — such a conductor we shall give him, the 
Argicide, who shall lead him, guiding him until he place 

155 him beside Achilles. And when he has led him within 
the tent of Achilles, Achilles will not himself slay him, and 
will keep off all others ; for he is neither foolish, nor im- 
provident, nor impious, but will very humanely spare a 
suppliant man." 

Thus he spake ; and Iris, swift as the storm, hastened to 

160 deliver her message. And she came to Priam's, and found 
wailing and lamentation. His sons, sitting round their 
father in the hall, were drenching their robes with tears ; 
and the old man, in the midst, was wrapt closely up in a 
cloak, and around on the head and neck of the old man 

165 was much filth; which, while rolling on the ground, he 
had heaped on with his own hands. And his daughters 
and daughters-in-law throughout the houses were lament- 
ing, remembering those who, many and brave, lay, deprived 
of life by the hands of the Argives. And the messenger 

1 70 of Jove stood beside Priam, and addressed him, speaking- 
low, and a tremor seized his limbs 3 . 

ec Be confident, O Dardan Priam, in thy mind, nor fear 
aught : for this is not an evil I come announcing to thee, 
but designing good ; for I am to thee the messenger of 

2 L e. let no fear of death trouble him. 

3 But a tremor seized him as to the knees. 



ILIAD XXIV.— V. 175—205. 521 

Jove, who, though tar off, greatly cares for, and pities 175 
thee. The Olympian commands thee to ransom the 
noble Hector, and to carry gifts to Achilles, which will 
soothe his soul, — thyself" alone, nor let any other man of 
the Trojans go with thee. Let some herald, advanced in 
years, accompany thee, to guide thy mules and well- 
wheeled waggon, as well as to bring back to the city the 180 
corpse, which noble Achilles has slain. Nor let death be 
a care in thy mind, nor any dread ; for such a conductor 
shall accompany thee, the Argicide, who shall lead thee, 
till, guiding thee, he shall place thee near Achilles. And 
when he shall have conducted thee within the tent of 185 
Achilles, he (Achilles) will not slay thee himself, and will 
keep away all others ; for he is neither foolish, nor impro- 
vident, nor sinful, but will very humanely spare a sup- 
pliant man." 

Thus then having spoken, swift-footed Iris departed. 
And Priam enjoined his sons to make ready his good- 
wheeled car, drawn by mules, and to bind upon it a coffer; 190 
and he himself descended into a scented chamber, made of 
cedar, lofty-roofed, which contained many treasures, and 
called to him his spouse Hecuba, and said : 

i{ My dear spouse, an Olympian messenger has come to 
me from Jove, to go to the ships of the Achaeans and 
ransom my beloved son, and to carry gifts to Achilles, 195 
which will soothe his soul. Come then, tell me this, how 
seems it to thy mind ? For my spirit and wishes strongly 
impel myself to go there to the ships, to the wide camp of 
the Achaeans." 

Thus he spake ; and his wife shrieked, and answered 200 
him in this speech: "Ah me, where now is gone thy 
common- sense, for which formerly thou wast celebrated 
among strangers, as well as those over whom thou reignest? 
Now wilt thou go to the ships of the Achaeans alone, to the 
eyes of the man, who has slain many and gallant sons of 
thine ? Iron must be thy heart 4 . For if this cruel and 205 

; i. e. insensible to fear — not to pity. 



522 ILIAD XXIV.— V. 206—237. 

faithless man shall seize thee, and behold thee with his 
eyes, he will not pity thee, nor will he have any respect 
for thee. But let us now mourn him apart, sitting in the 
hall ; for so 5 at his birth powerful fate thus spun his 

210 thread, — what time I brought him forth, — to glut the 
light-footed dogs, far from his own parents, beside that 
fierce man, the middle of whose liver I would that I held — 
clinging to it I would devour it. Then would the deeds 
against my son be avenged ; for he slew not a coward, but 

215 one standing in defence of the Trojan men, and deep- 
bosomed Trojan women, mindful neither of flight nor 
avoidance/ 5 

And to her, again, the godlike aged Priam said: "De- 
tain me not, when desirous to go, nor be thyself an evil 

220 omen 6 within my halls ; nor shalt thou persuade me. For 
if indeed any other — any of mortals had commanded me, 
whether they were prophets, soothsayers, or priests, we 
might have pronounced it a falsehood, and been the rather 
averse to it. But now — for I myself heard the goddess, 

225 and saw her before me — I will go, and her word shall not 
be vain; and if it be my fate to die beside the ships of the 
brazen-mailed Achaeans, I am willing: for I would that 
Achilles instantly slay me, after I, taking my son in my 
arms, have expelled the desire of weeping 7 ." 

He said ; and opened the beautiful lids of the chests ; 

230 thence he took out twelve splendid mantles, twelve single 
cloaks, and as many rich carpets, and as many tunics ; and 
took full ten talents of gold — weighing them. Out also 
he took two glittering tripods, and four bowls, and a most 
beautiful cup, which the Thracian men had given to him, 

235 when he went there on an embassy, a mighty gift. Not 
even this did the old man then spare in his halls ; for he 
wished above all things in his mind to ransom his beloved 



5 T<ji — by that. 6 Bird. 

7 For I could wish that Achilles would kill me at once, when having 
taken my son in my arms, I have taken out of myself the desire of grief — 
i. e. when I have embraced my son, and given vent to my sorrow. 



ILIAD XXIV.— V. 238—271. 523 

son. And he drove away all the Trojans from his portal, 
reviling them in opprobrious words: 

" Begone, infamous and vile ; is there not now lamenta- 
tion enough for yon at home, that ye come to trouble me? 240 
Or are ye pleased that Jove, the son of Saturn, has sent 
sorrows upon me, to lose my bravest boy ? But ye too 
will yourselves know them 8 ; for ye will be much easier 
for the Achaeans to destroy, now, he is dead. I shall, 245 
however, before I behold with my eyes the city plundered 
and laid waste, descend to the abode of Hades." 

He said ; and chased away the men with his staff, and 
they rushed out, the old man driving them. And he 
threatened his own sons, reviling them — Helenus, and 
Paris, and godlike Agathon, and Pammon, and Anti- 250 
phonus, and gallant Polites, and De'iphobus, and Hippo- 
thous, and noble Dios. These nine, the old man, reviling, 
commanded thus : 

il Hasten for me, ye base children, scandals, would that 
ye had altogether been slain at the swift ships, instead of 
Hector. Oh, every way unfortunate ! for I begot the 255 
bravest sons in wide Troy, and I say none of them is left ; 
godlike Mestor, and equestrian Troilus, and Hector, who 
was a god among men, nor was like the son of a mortal 
man, but of a god. Those has Mars destroyed for me, 260 
but all these wretches are left, liars, and dancers, and 
excellent at choral feasts, and public plunderers of lambs 
and of kids. Will ye not with all speed, make ready for 
me my car, and lay all these things upon it, that we may 
perform our journey." 

Thus he spake ; and they then, respecting the chiding 265 
of their father, lifted out the well-wheeled waggon, drawn 
by mules, beautiful, newly built, and bound upon it the 
coffer. They took likewise the yoke made of box-wood 
for the mules from the peg, bossed, well-fitted with col- 
lars ; and they brought out the traces, nine cubits in 270 
length, along with the yoke. And this they duly fastened 

8 scil. aXyia. 



524 ILIAD XXIV.— V. 272—303. 

to the pole, at its outward part, and threw a small ring 
over the hook of the pole. And thrice on each side 
they tied it to the boss ; and when they had succes- 
sively made it fast, they bent it under the angle ; then, 

275 carrying the invaluable ransom of Hectors head from the 
chamber, they heaped it upon the well polished car. Next 
they yoked the strong-hoofed mules, accustomed to the 
yoke, which the Mysians once gave to Priam, splendid 
gifts. And they led under the yoke also, for Priam, the 
steeds, which the old man, possessing, fed himself at the 

280 well polished manger. These the herald and Priam 9 them- 
selves made ready in the lofty palace, having prudent 
counsels in their minds. And near to them came Hecuba, 
with a sorrowful mind, holding in her right hand sweet 
wine, in a golden cup, that, having made libations, they 

285 might depart. And she stood before the horses, addressed 
him, and said : 

" Take this, and offer a libation to father Jove, and pray 
that thou mayest return back home again from those 
hostile men ; since thy mind impels thee to the ships, 

290 against my will. And pray thou then to the dark cloud- 
collecting, Idaean, son of Saturn, who looks down upon 
all Troy ; and ask for the bird, his swift messenger, which 
is the most beloved of birds to himself, and whose strength 
is the greatest, on thy right hand — that, marking him 

295 thyself with thine eyes, thou mayest go, confident in him, 
to the ships of the fleet-horsed Danaans. But if the far- 
seeing Jove will not give thee his own messenger, then 
I would not, urging, advise thee to go to the ships of the 
Argives, though thou art very eager." 

And to her the godlike Priam, answering, said : " O 

300 woman, surely I will not disobey thee, advising this ; 
for it is good to lift up my hands to Jove, that he may 
pity me" 

The old man spoke ; and he exhorted a diligent hand- 
maid to pour pure water upon his hands ; for the hand- 

9 rw — refers to tajpvK kcii lipiafiog. 



ILIAD XXIV.— V. 304—336. 525 

maid stood by, holding in her hands a basin, and with it 
an ewer ; and, washing himself, he took the cup from his 
wife. Then he prayed, standing in the middle of the 305 
court, and poured out a libation of wine, looking towards 
heaven ; and, speaking, delivered this speech : 

u O father Jove, ruling from Ida, most glorious, most 
great, grant that I may come to Achilles' tent, as a friend, 
and an object of pity ' ; and send the bird, thy swift mes- 310 
senger, which is the most beloved of birds to thyself, and 
whose strength is greatest, on my right hand ; that I my- 
self, marking him with mine eyes, may go, confident in 
him, to the ships of the fleet-horsed Danaans." 

Thus he spake, praying ; and wise Jove heard him, and 
immediately sent the eagle, the surest augury of birds, the 31 5 
black hunter, which also they call Percnos 2 . As large as 
is the well-closed, neatly-fitted door of the chamber of an 
opulent man, so wide on each side were its wings ; and it 
appeared by them, rushing on the right-hand over the city. 320 
And they, beholding it, rejoiced, and the soul was glad- 
dened in all their bosoms. 

Then the old man, making haste, mounted his polished 
car, and drove out of the vestibule and resounding portal. 
Before, the mules dragged the four-wheeled waggon, which 
the skilful Idaeus drove ; and behind, were the horses, 325 
which the old man animated, driving them quickly through 
the city with his lash ; and together followed all his friends, 
loudly mourning him, as if he were going to death. But 
when they had descended from the city, and reached the 
plain, the sons and sons-in-law returned back to Ilium. 330 
Nor were these two, proceeding forward upon the plain, 
unobserved by the far-seeing Jove ; for, beholding the old 
man, he felt compassion, and immediately addressed him- 
self to Mercury, his beloved son : 

" Mercury — for to thee is it particularly agreeable to 
companion with man, and thou listenest to whom thou 335 
wilt — away then, and so conduct Priam to the hollow- 

1 Pitiable. 2 <i>. 252. 



526 ILIAD XXIV.— V. 337—366. 

ships of the Achaeans, that neither any one may see him, 
nor yet any of the other Danaans observe him, till he come 
to Achilles." 

Thus he spake ; nor did the inter-messenger, the Argi- 

340 cide, disobey. Forthwith then he bound under his feet his 
beautiful sandals, ambrosial, golden, which bore him as 
well over the sea as over the immeasurable earth, along 
with the blasts of the wind. And he took his rod, with 
which he charms the eyes of those men whom he chooses, 

345 and again rouses those that are asleep — holding this in his 
hands, the powerful Argicide flew along. And he came 
forthwith to Troy and the Hellespont, and proceeded to 
go like to a princely youth, first growing into manhood 3 , 
whose bloom 4 is very graceful. And they, when they had 

350 driven past the large tomb of Ilus, stopt their mules and 
horses, that they might drink in the river ; for darkness had 
already come over the earth. And the herald, looking, 
marked Mercury a little way off, and spake to Priam, and 
said: 

" Mark, O descendant of Dardanus ; there is occasion 

355 for a prudent mind 5 . I see a man, and I am afraid he 
will soon destroy us. Come then, let us escape on the 
horses 6 ; or let us now, clasping his knees, intreat that he 
will pity us." 

Thus he spake ; and the old man's mind was confused, 
and he very much feared ; and the hair stood upright on 

360 his flexible limbs. And he stood panic-struck ; but Mer- 
cury himself coming near, taking the old man's hand, in- 
terrogated and addressed him : 

" Whither, O father dost thou thus direct thy steeds 
and mules in the ambrosial night, when other mortals 
sleep ? Fearest thou not the valour-breathing Achaeans, 

365 who, hostile and implacable to thee, are near ? If any 
one of these should see thee in the fleet ambrosial night, 



3 First coming to the age of puberty. 4 Youth. 

5 Works of a prudent mind are made— i. e. are at hand, — or there is occa- 
sion for them. 6 i. e. on Priam's car — leaving the waggon and mules. 



ILIAD XXIV.— V. 367—399. 527 

carrying so many treasures, what would be thy feelings 
then ? Thou art not young thyself — and this is an old 
man who attends thee — to repulse a warrior, should one 
first attack thee. But I will do thee no harm, and will 370 
repel any other that would ; for I liken thee to my own 
deai* father." 

And him answered then Priam, the godlike old man : 
" Surely these things are so, my dear son, as thou sayest. 
But one of the gods still holds his hand even over me, 
who has sent such a favourable conductor to meet me 375 
as thou art — admirable in thy form and countenance — 
prudent also art thou in thy mind, and sprung of blessed 
parents." 

And him again the inter-messenger, the Argicide, ad- 
dressed : " All these things, old man, thou surely hast 
said with propriety. Come then, tell me this, and tell 380 
me truly ; art thou now taking away many and valuable 
treasures to foreign men, that these at least may re- 
main safe for thee ? Or are ye all now quitting sacred Troy 
alarmed ? For so great was that very brave man, thy son, 
who perished : for he was not at all inferior in combat to 385 
the Achaeans." 

And him answered then Priam, the godlike old man : 
" And who art thou, O most excellent, and of what parents 
art thou, who speakest honourably to me of the death of 
my ill-fated son ?" 

And him again the inter-messenger, the Argicide, ad- 
dressed : " Thou triest me, old man, and inquirest about 390 
noble Hector — him I have very often seen with my eyes 
in the glorious battle, and when, driving the Argives, he 
slew them at the ships, cutting through them with his sharp 
spear ; and we, standing, wondered ; for Achilles, enraged 
with Atrides, permitted us not to combat. For I am his 395 
sen ant, and one well-built ship brought us. I am one of 
the Myrmidons, and my father is Polyctor ; he is wealthy, 
but now old, as thou art. There are six sons belonging to 
him, and I am his seventh, with whom casting lots, I ob- 

]2 



528 ILIAD XXIV.— V. 400—430. 

400 tained the lot to follow hither. And I am now come to 
the plain from the ships, because in the morning the noble 
Achaeans will stir up battle for the city 7 . For they are 
grieved with sitting still, nor can the princes of the 
Achaeans restrain them, eager for the combat." 

405 And him answered then Priam, the godlike old man : 
" If thou in truth art a comrade of Achilles, son of Peleus, 
come now, relate to me all the truth — is my son still at the 
ships, or has Achilles, tearing him limb from limb, already 
cast him before his dogs." 

410 And the Argicide, the inter-messenger, again addressed 
him : a Old man, not yet have the dogs eaten him, nor the 
fowls of the air ; but he still lies beside the ship of Achilles, 
in the same state 8 , at his tents ; and this is the twelfth 
morning to him thus lying, nor is his body at all putrid, 

415 nor do the worms devour him — those which eat heroes 
slain in battle. He indeed drags him piteously round the 
tomb of his own beloved companion when the divine morn- 
ing appears; yet he insults him not 9 . Coming to him, 
thou wouldst thyself admire how fresh he lies, and how the 
blood is washed away all round, nor is he any where pol- 

420 luted. Moreover all his wounds are closed, as many as 
were inflicted ; for many thrust a spear into him. Thus do 
the blessed gods care for thy son, though being a corpse ; 
since he was dear to their hearts V 

Thus he spake ; and the old man rejoiced, and answered 

425 in this speech : " O my son, assuredly it is a good thing to 
give to the immortals the gifts which are due ; for never 
did my son, whilst he yet was my son 2 , neglect the gods 
which possess Olympus; therefore are they mindful of 
him, even though in the condition 3 of death. Come then, 

430 accept from me this handsome cup ; rescue him for me, 



7 i. e. will attack it. 

8 i. e. as he was — untouched. 

9 % ■. e . does not mangle him — or spoil his appearance. 

1 irepi — very much — beyond others, 

2 If ever he was— Cf. I\ 180. 3 Fate. 



ILIAD XXIV.— V. 430— 461. 529 

and, with the gods, conduct me, until I come to the tent 430 
of Achilles." 

And him again the inter-messenger, the Argicide, ad- 
dressed : " Old man, thou temptest me, younger than thy- 
self; but thou wilt not persuade me ; thou who biddest me 
accept thy gifts, without the knowledge of Achilles. Him 
I fear and respect at my heart too much to plunder, lest 435 
some evil afterwards come upon me. Nevertheless I would 
be thy conductor even to renowned Argos, willingly ac- 
companying thee, in a swift ship, or on foot 4 ; nor, in truth, 
would any one fight with thee, through contempt for thy 
guide \" 

Mercury said, and, leaping upon the car and horses, 440 
instantly seized the lash and reins in his hands ; and 
breathed great vigour into the horses and mules. And 
when they had now come to the ramparts and trench of 
the ships, the guards were then newly employed about 
their repast ; but upon all of them the inter-messenger, 445 
the Argicide, poured sleep ; and instantly he opened the 
gates and pushed back the bars, and let in Priam, and the 
splendid gifts upon the waggon. And when they reached 
the lofty tent 6 of Pelides, which the Myrmidons had made 
for their prince, cutting down timbers of fir ; and they 450 
covered it above with a thatch roof, mowing it from the 
meadow, and made a large court around, with numerous 
stakes, for their king : one fir bar alone held the door, 
which three Achasans put to, and three removed the strong 
bar of the gates — of other Achaeans ; but Achilles even 455 
alone put it up. Then indeed the good Mercury removed 
it for the old man, and brought in the noble gifts to the 
swift-footed Achilles ; and descended from the car to the 
ground and said : 

e - Old man, I, Mercury, an immortal god, have in truth 460 
come ; for my father gave me to thee as a guide. Never- 

4 L e. by land. s Despising thy guide. 

B the tents were, we see, huts, 

M m 



530 ILIAD XXiV.— V. 462—497. 

theless I shall now go back, nor be present to the eyes of 
Achilles; for it would be truly an unbecoming thing for 
an immortal god thus openly to favour mortals. But do 

465 thou, going in, clasp the knees of the son of Peleus, and 
intreat him by his father, and fair-haired mother, and his 
son ; that thou mayst awake his sympathy ." 

Thus then having spoken. Mercury departed to lofty 
Olympus ; and Priam leaped from his car to the ground, 

470 and left Idaeus there. And he remained, keeping there 
the steeds and mules ; but the old man went straight to the 
abode, where sat Achilles, beloved of Jove. And himself 
he found within; and his comrades sat apart; but two 
alone, the hero Automedon, and Alcimus, a branch of Mars, 

475 very near, attended on him. And, eating and drinking, he 
had just ceased from a repast, and the table still stood 
near. And the mighty Priam, entering, was unseen by 
them ; and then, standing near him, he clasped the knees 
of Achilles with his hands, and kissed those terrible man- 
slaying hands, which had slain many of his sons. And as 

480 when a severe calamity seizes a man, who, having slain a 
man in his native country, comes to another state, to the 
house of an opulent man, and stupor possesses the behold- 
ers ; so Achilles wondered, seeing the godlike Priam ; 
and the others also wondered, and looked at one ano- 
ther. And Priam, supplicating, addressed to him this 

485 speech : 

" Remember thy own father — O Achilles., who resemblest 
the gods — of the same age as myself, upon the sad thresh- 
old of old age. And him perhaps his neighbours, around, 
are harassing, nor is there any one to repel war and de- 

490 struction. Yet he, hearing of thee, being alive, both 
rejoices in his soul, and every day hopes to behold his 
beloved son, returning from Troy. But I am every way 
miserable, for I begot the bravest sons in wide Troy, and 

495 of them I say none are left. I had fifty, when the sons of 
the Achaeans arrived ; nineteen were from one womb, and 
the rest, women bore to me in my halls. Of the greater 

11 



ILIAD XXIV.— V. 498—530. 531 

part fierce Mars hath loosened the knees under them; 
and Hector, who was my favourite 7 , and defended the city 
and ourselves, hast thou lately slain, fighting for his native 500 
land ; for his sake I now come to the ships of the Achaeans, 
and bring a precious ransom, to redeem him from thee. 
And respect the gods, O Achilles, and pity myself, remem- 
bering thy own father ; and I am even more wretched, for 
I have dared, what never any other earthly mortal has 505 
done, to put to my mouth the hand of a man, the slayer 
of my son." 

Thus he spake ; and excited in him the desire of mourn- 
ing for his father ; and then, touching him by the hand, 
he gently pushed away the old man. And recalling to mind 
— the one, prostrate at the feet of Achilles, plentifully wept 510 
for Hector, the homicide ; and Achilles now wept for his 
own father, and now for Patroclus in turn — and their la- 
mentation rang throughout the house. And when noble 
Achilles had indulged his grief, and the desire of it had 
gone away from his breast and limbs, he rose quickly from 515 
his seat, and raised up the old man with his hand, pitying 
both his hoary head and hoary beard : and^ addressing 
hirn, said these winged words : 

" Ah ! unhappy man, thou hast indeed endured many 
evils in thy mind. How hast thou ventured to come alone 
to the ships of the Achaeans, to the eyes of him, who has 520 
slain for thee many and gallant sons ? Iron must be thy 
heart. Yet come now, sit down upon a seat ; and we will 
let our sorrows repose in our mind^ grieved although we 
be ; for not any use is there in sad sorrow. For so have 525 
the gods doomed miserable mortals, that they should live 
wretched; whilst themselves are without care. For two 
vessels of gifts, such as they give, stand at the threshold of 
Jove, the one of evil, and the other of good. To whom 
Jove, the thunderer, gives, mixing,— he falls sometimes 
into evil fortune, and at others into good ; but the man to 530 

7 Alone to me — i. e. regarded above others. 

m m 2 



532 ILIAD XXIV.— V. 531—562. 

whom he gives of the bitter, he makes miserable ; and a 
fatal calamity pursues him upon the blessed earth ; and he 
roams, honoured neither by gods nor mortals. So also to 

535 Peleus have the gods also given their splendid gifts from 
his birth ; for he was conspicuous among all both for hap- 
piness and wealth, for he governed the Myrmidons, and 
the gods made a goddess his wife, though he was a mortal. 
Yet even upon him also has the god inflicted evil, because 

540 there was not in his halls a number 8 of princely sons ; but 
one short-lived boy only he begot ; nor in truth do I take 
care of him in his old age 9 ; for I sit in Troy, very far from 
my native country, causing sorrow to thee and to thy sons. 
Thou also, old man, we hear, wast once wealthy — -possess- 
ing as much as Lesbos above, the seat of Macar, contains 

545 within it, and Phrygia below, and the boundless Helles- 
pont. With the wealth of these, old man, they say that 
thou wert adorned, and with sons. But since the powers 
of heaven have brought this misfortune upon thee, battles 
and the slaughtering of men are ever round thy city — bear 
with it, nor grieve without ceasing in thy mind ; for thou 

550 wilt not profit aught, afflicting thyself for thy son, nor 
wilt thou raise him up, before thou suffer even another 
misfortune V* 

And him then answered Priam, the godlike old man : 
" Place me not upon a seat, O Jove-supported prince, 

555 whilst Hector lies unburied in thy tents ; but release him 
as soon as possible, that I may see him with my eyes ; 
and receive thou the numerous presents which we bring 
for thee; and mayest thou enjoy them, and arrive at thine 
own native land, since thou sufferest me first to live, and 
to behold the light of the sun." 

And to him the swift-footed Achilles, looking sternly, 

560 then said: " Stir me no more, old man; I myself intend 
to restore thee Hector; for the mother who bore me, the 
daughter of the aged sea-god, came to me as a messenger 

8 yovij — a brood — or family. 9 Being old. 

1 i. e. sooner wilt thou suffer new misfortunes. 



ILIAD XXIV.— V. 563— 595. 533 

from Jove. And as to thyself, I know, O Priam, in my 
mind, nor does it escape me, that one of the gods led thee 
to the swift ships of the Achaeans ; for a mortal would not 
have ventured to come into the camp, not even in the 565 
vigour of youth ? , for he could not have eluded the guards, 
nor yet pushed back the bolts of our gates. Wherefore 
now stir no more my mind already in sorrows, lest I endure 
thee not, old man, in my tents, though a suppliant, and 570 
violate the mandates of Jove." 

Thus he spake ; and the old man feared, and obeyed the 
command. And Pelides sprang like a lion from the door 
of the house — not alone, for with him followed two attend- 
ants, the hero Automedon, and Alcimus, whom Achilles 575 
honoured most of his comrades, after the death of Patro- 
clus 3 . These then loosed the horses and mules from the 
yoke, and led in the vocal herald of the old man; and 
placed him upon a seat. And from the well-polished 
waggon they took down the invaluable ransom of Hector's 
head ; but they left two cloaks and a well-woven tunic, in 580 
order that covering the body with them, he might give it 
to be carried home. And having summoned his female 
domestics, he commanded them to wash and anoint it 
around, taking it up apart, that Priam might not behold 
his son ; lest, seeing his boy, he might not contain the 
anger in his sorrowing heart, and the soul of Achilles be 
stirred up, and he slay him, and violate the mandates of 585 
Jove. When then the domestics had washed and anointed 
him with oil, and thrown round him a handsome cloak, 
and a tunic, Achilles himself, raising, placed him upon a 
bier, and with his comrades lifted him upon the well- 590 
polished waggon. And then he groaned^ and addressed 
by name his beloved companion : " Be not angry with 
me, O Patroclus, shouldest thou hear, though in Hades, 
that I have freed the noble Hector to his beloved father, 
since he has given me no unworthy ransom. And besides, 595 
even of these I will give thee a share, as much as is 
fitting." 

2 Not even very youthful. After Patroclus being dead. 



534 ILIAD XXIV.— V. 596—627. 

The noble Achilles said, and went back into the tent, 
and sat down on a curiously-wrought couch, whence he 
had risen, at the other 4 wall, and addressed this speech to 
Priam : 

" Thy son is now freed to thee, as thou hast desired, 
600 and lies upon a bier : and with the appearing morning 
thou shalt thyself see him, and take 5 him away : but now 
let us think of supper ; for even the fair-haired Niobe was 
mindful of food, although twelve children perished in her 
halls, six daughters and six blooming sons ; these Apollo 
605 slew from his silver bow, enraged with Niobe ; and those 
Diana, delighting in arrows, — because, that is, she had 
deemed herself equal to the beautiful- cheeked Latona. 
She said that Latona had borne only two, but she herself 
had borne many children ; nevertheless those, though but 
610 two, exterminated all these. Nine days indeed they lay in 
their gore, nor was there any to bury them, for the son of 
Saturn had made the people stones ; but upon the tenth 
day the heavenly gods buried them. But still she was 
mindful of food, after she was exhausted with weeping. 
And now somewhere among the rocks in the desert moun- 
615 tains in Sipylus, where, they say, are the beds of the 
goddess Nymphs, who dance round the Achelous — there, 
though a stone, she sighs over the sorrows sent upon her 
from the gods. Come then, O noble old man, let thou 
and I likewise pay attention to food, and hereafter thou 
620 mayest again weep for thy beloved son, carrying him into 
Troy ; and he will be mourned by thee with many tears." 
The swift Achilles said, and, starting up, slew a white 
sheep, and his comrades skinned it, and prepared it well 
in the usual manner 6 , and then skilfully cut it in pieces 7 , 
transfixed them with spits, and carefully cooked, and 
625 pulled them all off. Then Automedon, taking bread, distri- 
buted it over the table in beautiful baskets ; and Achilles 
dispensed the flesh ; and they stretched out their hands to 



4 i. e. opposite to Priam. 5 Taking. 

6 Skinned it, and attended to it well, according to order. 

7 i. e. no joints — as a butcher would say. 



ILIAD XXIV. V. 628—659. 535 ( 

the prepared victuals lying before them. And when they 
had removed the desire of food and drink, the Dardan 
Priam, in truth, beheld with admiration Achilles, so great 
and such as he was ; for he was to look on like the gods ; 630 
and Achilles admired the Dardan Priam, seeing his good 
countenance, and hearing his conversation. And when 
they were satisfied ivith gazing at one another, Priam, the 
godlike old man, first addressed him : 

" Send me now to repose as soon as possible, O Jove- 635 
supported prince, in order that, lying down, we may now 
enjoy sweet sleep ; for never have the eyes beneath my 
eyelids been closed, from the time when my boy lost his 
life by thy hands : but I always groan and nourish my 
numerous woes, prostrate in the dirt within the fences of 640 
my palace 3 . Now, however, I have both tasted food, and 
sent the sweet wine down my throat — before, certainly I 
had not tasted aught/' 

He said; and Achilles commanded his comrades and 
handmaids to place couches under the portico, and to cast 
upon them beautiful purple mats, and to strew over them 645 
blankets, and to lay on them woollen cloaks to be drawn 
over all. And the maidens went out of the hall, having a 
torch in their hands, and, making haste, quickly spread 
two couches. And swift-footed Achilles, jocularly ad- 
dressed him : 

" Lie thou now without, dear old man ; lest some prince 650 
of the Achagans come hither — any of those, who, sitting 
with me, always consult upon measures in the customary 
way. If any of these should see thee in the swift black 
night, he would immediately tell it to Agamemnon, shep- 
herd of people, and there might be a delay in the liberation 655 
of the corpse. Come then, tell me this, and tell me truly ; 
how many days dost thou desire to employ in performing 
the obsequies of noble Hector, that so long I may myself 
remain quiet, and restrain the people ?" 

And him answered then Priam, the godlike old man : 



Hall. 



536 ILIAD XXIV.— V. 660—689. 

660 " If thou be now willing that I celebrate the funeral of 
noble Hector, — so doing, O Achilles, thou wilt do me a 
favour. For thou knowest how we are shut up within the 
city, and the wood is far off to fetch it from the mountain ; 
and the Trojans are greatly afraid. Nine days will we 

665 lament him in our halls, and on the tenth we will bury 
him, and the people shall feast, and upon the eleventh we 
will erect a tomb for him ; and on the twelfth we will fight, 
if there be a necessity " 

And him the swift-footed Achilles again addressed : 
" And these things shall be to thee, O aged Priam, as thou 

670 desirest 1 for I will stop the war as long a time as thou 
biddest me." 

Thus having spoken, he grasped the right hand of the 
old man at the wrist, — that he might not fear in his mind. 
Then the herald and Priam went to recline there in the 

675 vestibule of the house, having many cares in their hearts ; 
and Achilles slept in the interior of the well-built tent, and 
beside him lay the beautiful-cheeked Briseis. 

The rest of the gods, and the warriors, who fight from 
chariots, reposed all night, overcome with soft sleep ; but 

680 sleep occupied not good Mercury, revolving in his mind 
how he should send out king Priam from the fleet 9 , without 
the knowledge of the sacred warders \ And he stood over 
his head, and addressed to him this speech : 

" Old man, thou hast now no thought of evil — so 2 thou 
still sleepest among hostile warriors, because Achilles has 

685 left thee unharmed. And now thou hast ransomed thy 
beloved son, and hast given many things ; yet the sons 
which are left behind to thee would have to give three 
times as many ransoms for thee alive 3 , should Agamem- 
non, son of Atreus, know thee, and all the Achaeans recog- 
nise thee." 

Thus he spake ; and the old man feared, and roused the 

9 The ships. 

1 The keepers of the gates. 2 i. e. with such confidence. 

3 '%. e. they would seize thee, and thy sons would have to ransom thee at a 
still higher price. 



ILIAD XXIV.— V. 690— 718. 537 

herald. And for them Mercury then yoked the horses and 690 
mules, and quickly drove them himself through the camp, 
nor did any one know it. 

And when they now reached the ford 4 of the fair-flowing 
river, the eddying Xanthus, to which immortal Jove gave 
birth, then Mercury departed to lofty Olympus ; and the 
saffron-veiled morning diffused over the whole earth. And 695 
they drove the horses towards the city, with groaning and 
lamentation, and the mules bore the corpse ; nor did any 
other of the men and beautiful-zoned women previously 
know it ; but Cassandra, resembling golden Venus, ascend- 
ing the Pergamus, recognised her beloved father standing 700 
in the car, and the herald who cried through the city 5 . 
Him (Hector) also she beheld upon the mules, lying on the 
bier: and then she shrieked, and exclaimed through the 
whole city : 

" Go, Trojans and Trojan women, and you will see Hec- 
tor, if ever ye rejoiced even for him returning alive from 705 
battle : for he was a great joy to the city and to the whole 
state/' 

Thus she spake ; nor was there then any man left in the 
city, or woman ; for intolerable grief came upon all ; and 
they crowded near the gates to meet him (Priam), bringing 
in the corpse. And for him his wife and venerable mother, 710 
first rushing to the well-wheeled waggon, tore out their 
hair, embracing his head ; and the people stood around, 
weeping. And surely now for the whole day till sunset 
would they have mourned before the gates, weeping for 
Hector, had not the old man addressed the people from his 715 
chariot : 

u Give me way, to pass through with the mules ; and 
ye shall afterwards indulge your weeping, when I have 
carried him home/ 5 



4 i. e. the point where there was a ford — it does not appear that they 
crossed it. 

5 i. e. whose business it is to cry through the city — to assemble the 
citizens to council. 

n n 



538 ILIAD XXIV.— V. 719—749. 

Thus he spake ; and they stood apart, and made way for 
the waggon. And when they had brought him into the 

720 noble mansion, they then laid him upon splendid 6 couches, 
and stationed beside him the leaders of funeral dirges, who 
then chanted a mournful strain, and the women also 
groaned in addition. And white-armed Andromache began 
the lamentation among them, holding between her hands 
the head of Hector, the man-slayer : 

725 " O my husband, thou hast fallen from life a youth, and 
leavest me a widow in our halls. Thine infant boy too 
thus, whom thou and I, ill-fated, produced — nor do I think 
he will reach the years of youth ; for before that will this 
city be overthrown from its summit. For thou, indeed, 
its guardian, hast perished, who didst defend it, and protect 

730 its chaste wives and infant children — they (the women) 
now will be soon carried away in the hollow ships, and I 
also among them. Thou, again, my child, wilt either fol- 
low me myself, where thou shalt toil at some disgraceful 
works, labouring for an ungentle master 7 : or some one of 

735 the Achaeans, seizing thee by the hand, shall cast thee, 
enraged, from a tower, to a bitter death — one of whom per- 
chance Hector slew, a brother, or a father, or even a son — 
since by the hands of Hector very many of the Achaeans 
grasped the vast earth 8 with their teeth. For thy father 
was not gentle 9 in the bitter fight ; and therefore do the 

740 people mourn him throughout the city. But thou hast 
caused execrable woe and sorrow to thy parents, O Hector ; 
and to me, most, severe sorrows are left. For thou didst 
not stretch out thine hands to me from the bed when 
dying ; nor speak any wise word, of which I might be ever 

745 mindful, when weeping nights and days." 

Thus she spake, mourning ; and then the women also 
groaned; and Hecuba, in turn, began among them her 
vehement lamentation : 

6 Perforated, probably of net-work. 7 King. 

8 aairtTov — a general expression for the earth — God's earth. 

9 I. e. was unsparing. 



ILIAD XXIV.— V. 750—779. 539 

•• O Hector, far the dearest to my soul of all my sons — 
whilst alive, indeed, thou wert beloved by the gods, and 
they in truth have taken care of thee, even in the condi- 750 
tion of death. For the rest of my sons, whichever he 
took, the swift-footed Achilles sold beyond the unfruitful 
sea, in Samos, and in Imbrus, and the inhospitable ' Lem- 
nos. But from thee when he had taken away the life w r ith 
his long-pointed spear, he frequently dragged thee round 755 
the tomb of his own comrade Patroclus, whom thou didst 
slay ; but not thus did he raise him up. And now thou 
liest for me in the halls, dewy and fresh 2 , like to one whom 
Apollo of the silver bow, attacking, has slain with his own 
gentle 3 weapons." 

Thus she spake, w r eeping ; and raised a violent lamenta- 7(50 
tion. Next Helen, the third, began her wail among 
them : 

u O Hector, far the dearest to my soul of my brothers- 
in-law — for indeed the godlike Paris is my husband, who 
brought me to Troy ; and Oh ! that I had perished first. 
For now is this the twentieth 4 year to me, from the time 765 
that I came from thence and quitted my native land; 
and never did I hear from thee an evil or reproachful 
word : and if any other of my husband's brothers, or his 
sisters' husbands, or beautifully-robed wives of his 
brothers, upbraided me in these halls, or my mother-in-law 770 
(for my father-in-law was always kind as a father) — him^ 
then admonishing with words, didst thou check w r ith thy 
gentleness and thy gentle words. Wherefore grieving in 
my heart, I wail at once for thee, and for my unhappy self; 
for there is no other tender and kind to me in wide Troy ; 775 
but all detest me." 

Thus she spake, weeping ; and again the unnumbered 
crowd groaned. And aged Priam delivered this speech 
among the people : 



1 Without a harbour. 2 As if just killed. 

3 Mild — for a swift death is without pain. 

* The Achseans were ten years in collecting, and remained ten years at 
the siege. 



540 ILIAD XXIV.— V. 780—805. 

" Ye Trojans, bring wood now to the city, nor at all fear 
in your mind a close ambuscade of Argives ; for Achilles 

780 thus surely promised, sending me away from the black 
ships, that he would not commence hostilities, before the 
twelfth morning should arrive. " 

Thus he spake; and they yoked the oxen and mules 
to the waggons ; and immediately after assembled in front 
of the city. Nine days indeed they brought in immense 

785 quantities of wood, but when at length the tenth morning 
had appeared, bringing light upon mortals, then also they, 
weeping, bore out the gallant Hector, and laid the corpse 
upon the high funeral pile, and cast in the fire. 

And when the early-born, rosy-fingered morn appeared, 
then were the people assembled round the pile of the lllus- 

790 trious Hector. And when they assembled, and were col- 
lected together, first indeed they extinguished all the pile, 
as much as the force of the fire had occupied, with dark 
wine ; and then his brothers and comrades gathered his 
white bones, mourning, and hot tears poured down their 

795 cheeks. And taking them, they placed them in a golden 
urn, covering it with fine purple robes, and presently laid 
it in a hollow grave ; and then strewed it above with many 
large stones. The tomb, however, they hastily threw up, 
whilst spies sat round in every direction, lest the well- 

800 armed Achaeans should too soon make an assault. And 
after heaping up the tomb, they returned again; and then 
assembling in order together, they partook of a splendid 
feast in the mansions of Priam, Jove-supported king. 

Thus they celebrated the funeral of Hector, the tamer 
of steeds. 



THE END. 



«0jj 



Gilbert & Rivington, Printers, St. John's Square, London. 



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